What is psychodynamic psychotherapy?

As children, we all learned unique ways of coping with our emotions and experiences, and these patterns continue to influence us unconsciously as we grow into adulthood. While these coping strategies may have been helpful at one time, they can become less effective or even problematic in our adult lives, leading to issues such as anxiety, depression, or difficulties in relationships.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a form of therapy that aims to help you break free from deep-seated patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving, that no longer serve you well. Through psychodynamic psychotherapy, we explore these unconscious patterns to understand how they affect your current life, and we uncover feelings you may have buried at the expense of your well-being.

By bringing these patterns and feelings into awareness, you can discover more helpful ways to respond to the challenges you face now. This process can help you develop healthier, more effective ways of coping, leading to greater emotional well-being and more fulfilling relationships.

Research shows that the benefits of psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapies continue even long after the therapy has ended - you can read a summary of the evidence base here.