Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Psychodynamic therapy understands that your feelings and "personality" are not fixed; instead they are capable of profound and permanent change through examining emotions and behaviour honestly, what influences them and how we may change as people through a clearer understanding of ourselves.
Psychodynamic therapy is based on psychoanalytic principles — that from our earliest infancy we must develop ways of behaving that help us fit into the world in which we are born. This can involve us building up unconscious feelings and patterns of behaving that allow us to cope with the anxieties and difficulties we experience as we grow.
Sometimes deep-seated issues are in response to actual experiences in our lives. They can also be the result of misperceptions and imagined experiences - but this does not make them any less "real" or important.
In later life, as we grow and our circumstances change, our perceptions and behaviour we adopted earlier may no longer be helpful but, because we are not aware of them, they are still a strong influence in our everyday lives.
This can result in us having feelings and acting in ways that upset ourselves and those around us, without us understanding why. This affects our relationships with family, friends and work colleagues while we struggle to manage disturbing feelings and inappropriate or damaging behaviour.
In a safe and confidential environment that is free from judgement, we can reflect on our deeper feelings and experiences. This can take a lot of courage to achieve an honest understanding of ourselves. The role of the therapist is to listen impartially and to help question and explore hidden aspects of ourselves.
