Psychodynamic therapy?

[boi]

Hi,
I read the sticky on diff types of therapy. I was wondering if anyone has done psychodynamic therapy? If yes, was it effective and what could I expect?
do you get into your past and resolve issues instead of cbt which is here and now?

 

[Banned]

Re: psychodynamic therapy?

Hi boi,

I've had numerous therapists and I think I've covered every theory base out there. Also, most therapists don't stick to just one theory base, but draw upon several based on the needs of the client.

I am *just* starting CBT now. I haven't done it before, despite five years of history behind me in therapy. I asked my therapist how this is going to help all the crap from my past, and he said that I need this as a foundation. We'll use other stuff for past stuff, but without the CBT, well, we can't really go very far.

I hope that kind of answers your question...but basically CBT, although in the "here and now", will give you foundation skills to look at past stuff, even though your therapist may use psychodynamic or something else to deal with past stuff.

I like to think of it as my "therapy toolbox"...and the more tools I have in my tool box, the more equipped I am to deal with anything that arises.

 

[boi]

thanks for the info Turtle. I will let you know what happens

 

[Ryan Howes]

The debates between CBT, humanistic and psychodynamic therapy have raged on for years and there's no end in sight. It's based in a fundamentally different approach to problems.

If you'll indulge me, I'll tell a brief story that illustrates the differences between different types of therapy.

I walked into a graduate-level psychology class on the first night and told them I was really nervous to teach. I went around the room to each student and asked for their input, writing down their answers. Some said they could understand my fear and assured me that I'd do fine. Others advised that I relax, take a deep breath, think positively and focus on my prepared lecture. And others asked why I felt scared and wondered if I had a bad experience with public speaking in my past. They each helped me distinguish therapy theories in a very practical way.

Those with the understanding, empathic response were aligned with the humanistic (also known as Rogerian or the current Positive Psychology) viewpoint.

Those recommending relaxation, focus and restructuring my thoughts embodied the CBT approach.

Those who asked "why?" and wanted to look at the root of the problem were examples of psychodynamic thought.

So to answer your question, psychodynamic therapy takes a hard look at why. The therapy typically takes longer and uncovers deeper (often more painful) material, but proponents believe it gets it by the root of the problem so it doesn't grow back. CBT purists say psychodynamic is a waste of time, that looking at the causes doesn't make a difference, while dynamic therapists accuse CBT of putting a bandaid on cancer.

Having said that, research clearly shows that the relationship with the therapist is the most important factor, regardless of their theory. That might be the best measure of a good fit.

 

[forgetmenot]

Thanks for clearly making me understand the different approaches.
I would think some therapist would use all three approaches depending on the client they were looking after. They would assess which approach would benefit the client the most.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I would think some therapist would use all three approaches depending on the client they were looking after. They would assess which approach would benefit the client the most.

I think that's often the case: Not just which approach will most benefit the client (client characteristics) but also what will be of most benefit now (stage of therapy factors).

For example, when a client comes to me in crisis, which is often when someone first enters therapy, my first goal is not to determine where all this originated but to give the client tools to manage the crisis now. That typically will involve some variant of directive counselling and CBT.

Once the current crisis has been resolved or is under control, then we'll look firther at how the client got to that place and why. Those will involve other techniques and strategies selected on the basis of what the client will be most receptive to and what is most likely to achieve the desired results.