Psychodynamic Psychotherapy San Francisco

What is psychodynamic psychotherapy?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is an “insight” approach. It is the practice of exploring deeply the inner workings of your mind (how your psyche works).

Old, unresolved conflicts and beliefs drain energy from you. Imagine trying to walk when your muscles are rigid and tense, effectively locking you in one place. Over time, walking becomes exhausting and dispiriting.

It is the same with your psyche.

The importance of insight practice

When you’ve experienced trauma or suffered from chronic anxiety and depression, your mind and body are not in a natural state–they are stuck. Your nervous system can become over-active as is often the case in trauma and anxiety. Depression, on the other hand, is often a state of your nervous system being under-active. Both of these states deplete your energy, which can make your entire life a struggle.

Insight, while a key component of therapy, is not enough by itself to heal anxiety and depression. You also need to calm your nervous system so that you can first manage, and eventually overcome anxious and depressive thoughts.

By integrating an insight approach, we’ll work to understand these stuck places in your psyche so that you can relax with the awareness that new ways of being are available to you.

When you see that you have fresh possibilities for action, it helps old painful dilemmas melt away.

To make permanent change and avoid reoccurrence of depression and anxiety, an insight approach, in combination with the skill building of CBT and mindfulness training, is essential.

In working together to integrate the right mix of these approaches for you, your life will move towards less turmoil, more self-sustaining balance, and a greater sense of confidence and fulfillment.

Contact me to learn more about psychodynamic therapy »