Federica Marino-Francis

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy has its roots in the Psychoanalytic tradition and focuses on the unconscious part of the mind, a part of which we are not aware. Psychodynamic psychotherapy also looks at the importance of our early relationships in shaping our ability to form relationships and build a sense of the self. 

 

Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalytic theory, maintains that the unconscious affects our behaviour and experience even though we are unaware of these underlying influences. Psychodynamic psychotherapy examines the unconscious processes as they are manifested in the individual's present behaviour.

 

One of the central ideas in psychodynamic therapy is that when something is very painful we tend to ignore it. Most of the time we know when we are doing this, but sometimes we bury something so successfully that we lose sight of it completely. This is why difficult experiences in the past can continue to affect the way we feel and behave in the present. 

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The goal of psychodynamic psychotherapy is to reach self-awareness and understanding of how the past affects present behaviour. 

Psychodynamic psychotherapy provides a safe place to talk about and explore how you feel and to understand what might be causing your difficulties.