Attachment, attachment, attachment. It is perhaps one of the most popular topics among consumers in mental health. And it’s very well researched! Many therapeutic approaches tackle attachment difficulties in their own ways. Psychodynamic therapy builds much of its approach around current and early close attachments and how it influences mental health. So what does the psychodynamic therapy approach propose and how can therapists train to learn more?
Psychodynamic was born out of Freud’s classic psychoanalysis, but has some key differences. The psychodynamic therapy approach puts far less emphasis on unconscious processes (if still some emphasis). In a nutshell, it emphasizes the influence of childhood attachment to close others (e.g., caregivers) on object relations. Object relations concerns how our view and interactions with close others, currently and in childhood, impacts current relationships and mental health.
Psychodynamic therapy also emphasizes interactions that occur in the therapy room to uncover patterns of current unhealthy relating. For instance, the way the client responds to the therapist (aka transference) is often explored in therapy and used to promote more healthy ways of responding.
Additionally, psychodynamic therapists train heavily in identifying their own emotional reactions to clients (aka countertransference). Therapists use those reactions as information to understand and explore the ways that others may respond to the client in their everyday lives. This intends to identify difficulties clients experience in relating to others and learning moments for healthier behaviors.
Unlike psychoanalysis, the psychodynamic therapy approach has been more amenable to scientific testing. Recent meta-analyses find it is helpful for a number of common mental health difficulties. It even showed effects comparable to CBT in some analyses.
Time-limited psychodynamic therapy also shows promise in alleviating symptoms and improving attachment style. This approach aims to maximize specific effective aspects of the psychodynamic approach into a defined amount of sessions
Many psychodynamic training programs emphasize long-term graduate training to build the ability to identify one’s own countertransference and other reactions. However, there is a good continuing education training available for mental health professions to learn specific psychodynamic tools and techniques. Some therapists use a number of these techniques (e.g., countertransference) to aid therapy in other approaches, like CBT.
Psychodynamic therapy comes from a long tradition of where mental health therapy began. But this more straightforward and modern version of therapy demonstrates efficacy and often in a shorter time frame. It also provides an approach that directly targets attachment difficulties and their effects on clients’ current lives.
