From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a form of depth
psychology, the primary focus of which is to reveal the
unconscious content of a client's psyche in an effort to alleviate
psychic tension.[1] In this
way, it is similar to psychoanalysis, but psychodynamic
therapy tends to be briefer and less intensive than psychoanalysis.
It also relies on the interpersonal relationship between client and
therapist more than other forms of depth psychology. In terms of
approach, this form of therapy also tends to be more eclectic than
others, taking techniques from a variety of sources, rather than
relying on a single system of intervention. It is a focus that has
been used in individual
psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, family therapy,
and to understand and work with institutional and organizational
contexts.
History
The principles of psychodynamics were first introduced in
the 1874 publication Lectures on Physiology by German
scientist Ernst Wilhelm von Brücke.
Brücke, taking a cue from thermodynamics, suggested all living
organisms are energy systems, governed by the principle of energy conservation. During the
same year, Brücke was supervisor to first-year medical student Sigmund Freud at
the University of Vienna. Freud later
adopted this new construct of “dynamic” physiology to aid in his
own conceptualization of the human psyche. Later, both the concept
and application of psychodynamics was further developed by the
likes of Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Otto Rank, and Melanie Klein [2].
Approaches
Most psychodynamic approaches centered around the concept that
some maladaptive functioning is in play, and that this maladaption
is, at least in part, unconscious. The presumed maladaption
develops early in life and eventually causes dissonance in day to day life. The
psychodynamic therapist first intervenes to treat the discomfort
associated with the poorly formed function, then helps the client
acknowledge the existence of the maladaption, while working with
the client to develop strategies for change.
Core Principles and
Characteristics
Although psychodynamic psychotherapy can take many forms,
commonalities include[3]:
- An emphasis on the centrality of intrapsychic and unconscious
conflicts, and their relation to development.
- Seeing defenses as developing in internal psychic structures in
order to avoid unpleasant consequences of conflict.
- A belief that psychopathology develops especially from early
childhood experiences.
- A view that internal representations of experiences are
organized around interpersonal relations.
- A conviction that life issues and dynamics will re-emerge in
the context of the client-therapist relationship as transference and counter-transference.
- Use of free association as a major method for exploration of
internal conflicts and problems.
- Focusing on interpretations of transference, defense mechanisms, and
current symptoms and the working through of these present
problems.
- Trust in insight as
critically important for success in therapy.
See also
References
- ^
psychodynamic
psychotherapy - guidetopsychology.com
- ^
Horacio Etchegoyen: The Fundamentals of
Psychoanalytic Technique, Karnac Books ed., New Ed, 2005, ISBN
185575455X
- ^
Sundberg, Norman (2001). Clinical
Psychology: Evolving Theory, Practice, and Research. Englewood
Cliffs: Prentice Hall. ISBN
0130871192.
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