In line with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the “Psychodynamic approach stresses the importance of the unconscious and past experience in shaping current behaviour. The client is encouraged to talk about childhood relationships with parents and other significant people and the therapist focuses on the client/therapist relationship (the dynamics) and in particular on the transference. Transference is when the client projects onto the therapist feelings experienced in previous significant relationships. The Psychodynamic approach is derived from Psychoanalysis but usually provides a quicker solution to emotional problems.”
Based on the work of Sigmund Freud, who believed that the unacceptable thoughts of early childhood are banished to the unconscious mind but continue to influence thoughts, emotions and behaviour, psychodynamic psychotherapy is often used by clients suffering hight levels of distress and can be a lengthy and intensive process. “Repressed” feelings can surface later as conflicts, depression, etc or through dreams or creative activities. The analysts seeks to interpret and make acceptable to the client’s conscious mind, troublesome feelings and relationships from the past. “Transference” onto the analyst, of feelings about figures in the client’s life is encouraged.