Psychodynamic Therapy Techniques

Brief psychodynamic therapy, which is generally conducted over the course of only a few sessions, is an example of psychodynamic therapy. This approach may be used to help victims of trauma, such as accidents, or terrorism, process their experiences and integrate the meaning of the event into their schema (a person's way of understanding themselves in relation to others).

Psychodynamic therapists use various tools and techniques to encourage clients to explore their unconscious thoughts and emotions. Common tools include free association, in which the client discusses whatever comes to mind without censoring, and projective tests, such as word association or inkblot tests, to identify subconscious thoughts and feelings. Dream analysis is another technique used to unlock unconscious thoughts through the interpretation of dreams.

The five major elements of psychodynamic therapy are accessing the unconscious or revealing unconscious thoughts, feelings, and desires that influence behavior; transference which involves examining how the client's feelings and attitudes toward significant people in their life are transferred to the therapist; resistance that involves identifying and working through the client's resistance to change; free association which encourages the client to express whatever comes to mind without censoring; and interpretation, where the therapist provides interpretations to help the client gain insight into unconscious conflicts and patterns.