Psychodynamic Therapy in Mountain Brook and How It Can Help with Depression
When most people talk about psychotherapy sessions, they’re often referring to psychodynamic therapy. It’s one of the most popular ‘talk therapies,’ a form of treatment, which focuses on the conversation between a therapist and their client.
This deep conversation helps people take a closer look at their emotions, history, and circumstances—the things that make them who they are—in a safe and judgment-free environment.
Here’s a closer look at psychodynamic therapy and how it helps with depression:
The Basics of Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is derived from the practice of ‘psychoanalysis’ developed and popularized by Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis emphasizes the importance of a person’s past and their unconscious mind, with an intense exploration of the same.
Compared to psychoanalysis, psychodynamic therapy has a shorter duration, with weekly sessions and the client in a seated position instead of reclining on a couch.
While intense and uncomfortable topics may come up in session, psychodynamic therapy itself is more informal and allows the client to talk freely about whatever they want. A key component to this kind of therapy is the relationship between you and your therapist, called the therapeutic alliance.
How Psychodynamic Therapy Works
When you begin psychodynamic therapy with a psychodynamic psychologist, you’ll be encouraged to bring up your emotions and talk about anything that’s on your mind.
Your therapist will support you in discussing painful, upsetting, or deeply-buried feelings that you may have been carrying. They’ll also guide you in recognizing the things you do to avoid having to discuss your painful feelings, known as defense mechanisms.
The therapist will help you identify patterns in your thinking and behavior. It’s not uncommon for people to have an “Aha!” moment in session and pick up a pattern they couldn’t see before. Other times, you’ll only arrive at this point after much deliberation and discussion.
The therapy will then move toward exploring the patterns and their effect on you, especially any challenges that they might present in your growth as a person.
Developing the tools and inner resources to deal effectively with these challenges is the ideal outcome of psychodynamic therapy.
Psychodynamic Therapy and Depression
Psychodynamic therapy can help with depression in a number of ways:
- Your reflection and exploration of your feelings, emotions, and past can lead you to develop better self-awareness.
- Recognizing your patterns and understanding their impact can help you determine whether they’re helpful or harmful and what to do if the latter is true.
- By breaking the patterns that aren’t useful anymore and actively developing healthier coping mechanisms, you can be in a much better position to deal with life’s challenges.
- The tools you learn in therapy can make you more resilient when practiced in your day-to-day life.
Consulta Psychodynamic Psychologist in Mountain Brook
Being a trained and highly experienced depression therapist in Birmingham, AL, the psychotherapy sessions I provide can be conveniently availed not just by people in Birmingham but also by the residents of Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, and Hoover.
Seeking the help of a depression therapist in Alabama? Book a consultation by sending me a message or calling me at (205) 251-8808.