In the past few months I have been thinking about the method in which I practice with clients, particularly as to whether I have been clear about the type of treatment I provide.
Therefore in the coming months, I have decided to outline my primary methods of practice, in order to educate readers as well as clarify what kind of services I offer. As my Psychology Today profile and personal website show, I utilize many different techniques. However, as the foundation of my approach is psycho-dynamic psychotherapy, I will begin my first of many posts about treatment techniques with this method.
Also, as it is a triggering time of year (the holidays), it seems appropriate to talk about the important role that our families play in a psycho-dynamic context, and how significant that impact can be!
I will borrow a general definition from Harry Guntrip to describe the essence of psycho-dynamic work:
“Psychodynamics is defined as the study of the motivated and meaningful life of human beings, as persons shaped in the media of personal relationships which constitute their lives and determine to so large an extent how their innate gifts and possibilities will develop and how, to use Donald Winnicott’s terms, the “motivational processes” develop in the “facilitating” or so often “un-facilitating environment” of the other important human beings.”
I love this definition as it emphasizes that the purpose of the work is to understand the full person and to explore the ways in which their talents and abilities have and/or have not been allowed to flourish (due at least partially, to the impact of important human relationships). For most of us, these important relationships can be any people close to us including but not limited to our families (parents, siblings, close members of the extended family), friends, guidance counselors, teachers (academic and spiritual), as well as the community in which we were raised. Our connection to these individuals is constructive to the way we see ourselves, the way we see the world, and our position within it. As Tim Kreider so aptly writes, “What dooms our best efforts to cultivate empathy and compassion is always, of course, other people.”
I highly reccommend this book!!
One of the tenets of psycho-dynamic psychotherapy is to become aware of our past story. Through awareness we can reclaim this narrative, freeing ourselves of old ideas about ourselves and the world. Our entrenchment in these narratives can hinder our functioning, and we can feel that we experience the same patterns repeatedly. Our experiences have to be acknowledged, valued, evaluated, grieved- and then we can move forward. Through this process, we can discern which aspects of our story are our responsibility to take ownership of, and which are the responsibility of others. This cultivation of personal boundaries is undeniably an essential step in owning our experience, and leads to the feeling of being unencumbered by the past.
Naturally, each client’s treatment is as unique and individual as their own existence. To further this point, even each session is unique and of special value. For example, exploring someone’s experiences, identifying different options for making a change, cultivating empathy and understanding, labeling emotions, providing conflict resolution techniques, general support and/or advice, and offering up alternatives to firmly held beliefs are just a few examples of different methods of interacting between the therapist and the client during a psycho-dynamic session. These dynamics can occur simultaneously in one session, or be spread throughout treatment at different times.
This positive appraisal of the psycho-dynamic technique is, of course, not a recommendation of this method above all others. I have found this method of value and meaning to myself and my clients. Difference of experience amongst practitioners and participants is inevitable- our journeys diverge. It is possible that I am motivated to write this post (as well as future posts) by my own wish to not let others in my professional and clinical circles down. I hope to avoid this by presenting a clear picture of what I practice, and what they can expect. I think we commonly enter new experiences already laden with expectations and assumptions about what should be occurring. When our expectations are not met, we often feel deflated, disappointed, or even happily surprised.
It is a delicate balance to provide education without eradicating other ideas about how things could/should progress. I believe that providing clarification about the methods I employ can help others know what to expect, even in a course of treatment where the path and end are, at times, vague and shifting. Understanding the path is a near impossible feat, only truly understood in retrospect.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to let me know. Looking forward to seeing you all in the New Year. Happy Holidays!