CBT often works with relationships among thoughts, feelings, and behavior, while DBT includes skills for managing intense emotion and relationships. These approaches vary in practice and can also consider personal history. Psychodynamic work focuses on specific behavior and very specific distressing and dysregulated emotions also, but not as a phenomenon arising out of the individual. Thoughts and feelings are profoundly impacted by the social world one inhabits and internalizes in early developmental years of life through not only how we acquire language but how language seems to acquire us by possessing us with desires which may not be our own yet give shape to the characters we play in the grand narrative of life.
Psychodynamic work takes a harder look at deeper (often older) processes whereby it explores the imaginary, symbolic and the real of what feels lacking in love. Lacan’s imaginary concerns images and identifications; the symbolic concerns language and the positions it gives us; the real names what resists being fully contained by those images and explanations. These distinctions give a language to the gap between the person we feel we ought to be and the experience that will not fit. (Lacan, 1949/2006; 1964/1978)
Psychodynamic therapy delves deep into the unconscious mind, aiming to bring underlying, unresolved conflicts and traumas to the surface. Alongside attention to symptoms, psychodynamic work seeks to identify and understand the root causes of emotional distress and psychological difficulties. This in-depth exploration allows clients to gain insight into their motivations, behaviors, and patterns of thinking that may stem from early childhood experiences. By addressing these underlying issues, psychodynamic therapy lays the foundation for lasting transformation and healing.
Another distinctive advantage of psychodynamic therapy lies in the emphasis placed on the therapeutic relationship. Psychodynamic work offers a safe and supportive environment where individuals can freely express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns without fear of judgment. Through this process, a strong and trusting relationship forms with the therapist, enabling clients to explore their emotions and vulnerabilities at a deeper level. This authentic connection often becomes a catalyst for profound personal growth and self-discovery, fostering lasting positive changes in one's life.
Psychodynamic therapy takes a more holistic approach to growth and development. By addressing the underlying emotional conflicts and unconscious processes that impact our lives, psychodynamic work facilitates a profound transformation in various areas, including relationships, self-esteem, and overall well-being. Moreover, psychodynamic therapy recognizes the significance of the unconscious mind and the intricate interplay between past experiences and present difficulties. By tapping into these unconscious dynamics, individuals can achieve profound self-awareness and make lasting changes that extend far beyond mere symptom reduction. For me, this gives psychotherapy a poetic dimension: the words and images through which a life is lived can begin to carry meanings that were previously difficult to recognize.
Lacan, J. (1949/2006). The Mirror Stage as Formative of the I Function. In Écrits, translated by Bruce Fink. W. W. Norton.
Lacan, J. (1964/1978). The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis: Seminar XI, translated by Alan Sheridan. W. W. Norton.
American Psychoanalytic Association. What Is Psychoanalytic or Psychodynamic Psychotherapy?