 N
GENERAL,
psychodynamic psychotherapy has
developed as a less intensive—and less expensive—form of psychological
treatment than psychoanalysis, but its premises
derive just the same from Sigmund Freud’s ideas about the role of insight in
psychological healing. Unlike the cognitive-behavioral
treatments, which perceive the individual as a consequence of many
stimuli from the environment, psychodynamic psychotherapy perceives
the individual as an agent in his or her own behavior and seeks to help the
individual understand the unconscious meaning—that
is, the dynamics—of troubling symptoms.
Thus, insight into the symptoms is valued as a far more helpful and lasting
cure than merely “getting rid” of the symptoms.
As a person grows
and develops through childhood into adulthood, many environmental stimuli,
of course, contribute to shaping that person’s attitudes and behaviors.
Although quite a bit of this shaping takes place unconsciously, the outward
manifestation of it all is called
“personality.”
Now, when the
goal of psychological treatment is to change long-standing personality qualities,
long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy is called for. Treatment is called
“long-term” because it can take more than just a few visits—in
fact, it sometimes takes several years—to change patterns of behavior
that in themselves took years to develop.
But when a person
is functioning well in society and has no deep personality deficits to correct,
and yet develops psychiatric symptoms, brief psychodynamic psychotherapy
can be used to help the person understand what he or she has been through
emotionally that brought about the
symptoms.
 |
An
Example |
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A college student
was referred by a professor when the student made some angry and sarcastic
statements in class that gave the professor cause to be concerned about
depression and possible suicidal ideation in the student. So, rather than
discipline the student for his disrespectful and disruptive behavior, the
professor recommended psychotherapy.
On meeting with
the student, I learned that there had been no obvious family dysfunction
in his childhood, but there had been a time in pre-adolescence when he was
hit by a car while riding a bicycle and very nearly died. In fact, he heard
the medical staff say that he would likely not “make it.” I also
learned that the student’s remarks in class had been provoked by something
the professor had said, something very similar to comments that the
student’s father used to make to him. Sometimes the student would feel
enraged by his father’s comments, and one night he got so
angry
that he took off on his bike. And, as it happened, he got hit by a car that
ran a stop sign.
Treatment took
two sessions. It involved some education about how a near-death experience
can cause a trauma that lingers in the
unconscious even after the event is survived. It involved
some discussion about how the professor’s comments could have triggered
painful memories of childhood events. It involved some
hypnosis to give the student a new perspective
on the unconscious meaning of his past and to help create a new perspective
on his future. And it involved some cognitive-behavioral instruction in changing
negative thinking. |
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In the example
above, treatment took two sessions. Brief psychotherapy sometimes can take
only one session, as in hypnosis for smoking
cessation. Or it can take 12 sessions, as in a focused treatment protocol
for a traumatic event, such as a rape, or an accident, or an act of terrorism.
There is no specified time length, really. In the proper circumstances, however,
it can be a short and valuable investment in one’s
future.
No
advertising—no sponsor—just the simple truth . . .
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Additional
Resources
Related pages within A Guide to Psychology and
its Practice:
Choosing a
Psychologist
Confidentiality
Consumer Rights and
Office Policies
Fear of
Psychotherapy
Legal Issues
Psychology: Clinical
or Counseling or ...?
Psychology and
Psychiatry
Questions and Answers
about Psychotherapy
Reasons to Consult
a Psychologist
Types of Psychological
Treatment
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