Basic guide to types of therapy (part I): psychoanalytic and psychodynamic

Thinking about attending psychological therapy almost always causes resistance. And it is understandable, in part because the lack of knowledge about psychotherapeutic work is almost general. Here we talk about two types of therapy practiced today.

It is common that there are great doubts about the field of psychology studies as well as regarding the very role of psychological therapy. Therefore, in this series of articles, we explain a little about some of the therapies that exist so that you become familiar with this healthy practice.

Therapy is not the infallible strategy to resolve our entire lives or to provide a state of permanent awareness and calm. It is, rather, a mechanism to recognize our difficulties and learn to cope with them throughout our lives.

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In other articles we have talked about the possible reasons to attend psychological therapy, or that therapy is not, as was long thought, for crazy people. However, because we know that attending therapy can sometimes feel intimidating or strange, it is advisable to familiarize ourselves with therapeutic models or approaches and learn about them.

Psychoanalytic therapy

Like any other school of thought, psychoanalysis has had numerous and different developments over time since it emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, with the proposals of the famous Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist Sigmund Freud as well as those of other scholars such as Carl Jung.

Psychoanalytic therapy focuses on addressing mental, affective or emotional constructions from the perspective of analysis of the unconsciousa category that supports a large part of psychoanalytic theory and which states that the human psyche has an important unconscious component, where memories, free associations, dreams and other mental and affective constructions are housed. They can give an account of the history and past of a person, and what represents psychological and emotional conflicts.such as traumas or the false resolution of these through the so-called “defense mechanisms”, that would cause different types of disordersetc.

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The classic role of the psychoanalyst is not very intrusive and has to do with the investigation into these aspects, through their interpretation, so that the patient makes the unconscious conscious and, through said recognition, can better elaborate these conflicts, to have a better life. more functional.

Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamics is a therapeutic model that arises and includes part of the postulates of psychoanalysis. classical, especially regarding the analysis of the self, but considers other perspectives with the ideas of Jacques Lacan, in relation to the social subjector approaches such as “object relations”, proposed by the also famous Melanie Klein. This model focuses on a therapy that goes beyond analysis and proposes a more active practice in relation to the patient.

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The role of the therapist in psychodynamics is more direct that of the classic psychoanalyst, here the therapist intervenes more actively, advising, providing certain pedagogy or supportby reinforcing conditions that do not represent conflict for the patient.

We must remember that the type of therapy that each patient needs is usually determined by the therapist, therefore, it is good for the patient to consider the different models and their practices to understand their field of action and the reason why the therapist prefers it. .