In plain terms
Psychodynamic therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is a depth approach that looks at how early relationships and out-of-awareness patterns shape the way you feel and relate now. Rather than only managing symptoms, it follows the themes that repeat across your life, so the roots of a pattern become clear and can change. The relationship with your therapist is part of the work.
Following the pattern
Psychodynamic work starts from the idea that a lot of what drives us runs below awareness, in patterns learned early and repeated without noticing: the same kind of relationship, the same sticking point, the same feeling that shows up on cue. Instead of only treating the surface symptom, it traces the theme back to where it was learned, on the understanding that a pattern seen clearly is easier to change than one that runs in the dark.
What to expect
Sessions are more open and exploratory than a skills-based approach, with room to follow what comes up. What happens between you and your therapist is treated as useful information, because the patterns that play out everywhere else tend to show up there too. It is often a good fit for long-standing depression, anxiety, and trauma that have roots going back a long way.
This page is part of our therapy glossary.
Where we work with this
Related areas we work in
Questions
Common questions
Does psychodynamic therapy take years?
Is it the same as psychoanalysis?
How is it different from CBT?
Ready when you are
A free 15-minute call is the easiest way to find out whether Aurora is the right fit.
References and further reading
Psychodynamic therapy can help with depression and long-standing relational patterns. For more, see the Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology and the American Psychoanalytic Association.