Approaches

Psychoanalysis and Psychodynamic Therapy

Do you ever wonder why you keep running into the same problem over and over again? Why is it that even though you seem to be careful with the decisions and choices you make, you end up at a disadvantage?  Do you ever think of yourself as unlucky or feel like the outcome of things is not up to you?  Feeling like you are almost always at a loss  and not in control of your situation and circumstances could lead anyone to feel vulnerable and defensive.  And what happens when we become defensive? All our protective instincts heighten and most of the other cognitive functions dip. Our lens narrows and recalibrates itself to perceive immediate threat and danger rather than deemed details, so we lose our insightfulness . Insight is what we need when we try to solve our problems or attempt to make any kind of decisions, choices, or take actions, and that is exactly what we lack.

 

Any kind of mental, or emotional health-related issues will leave their mark on our ability to think. When you are dealing with any of these affective issues your reality and perception of it change (i.e. for someone with depression to dull and gloomy). And attaining insight in a state of depression for instance, or any issue for that matter, is possible with the help of psychodynamic therapy.

Insight is possible when we are introspective and able to understand the cause and effect and the inner nature of our thoughts and emotions and how they translate to our situation. Psychodynamic therapy does just that.

My therapy approach is based in Psychodynamic Theory and is built on a foundation of Existential philosophy. You may have heard of these terms before, but just in case you are not familiar here is how they translate in practice.

With the help of psychodynamic therapy, I help you explore unconscious motives, needs, dreams, and defenses in order to increase your self-awareness and encourage change. Existentialism helps bring to the forefront some of your most personal fears and concerns that run through your core. Combining psychodynamic therapy with existential philosophy creates a very powerful experience in therapy because the focus is on the deeper issues (the areas within yourself that are harder to focus on) that if left unresolved, can create dramatic negative shifts in your mood and perspective. You may think or feel like this kind of work is scary, and you are right to feel this way. Psychodynamic therapy aims to dig to the deepest possible level so that change is long-lasting. Wouldn’t it be amazing if once you solve a problem, you’d do it for good?

At times, I offer a method that I have created to combine Clinical Hypnosis and talk therapy as part of the treatment, for the purpose of delving deeper into the unconscious and work through your defense systems faster. I have successfully been using a psychodynamic approach to help individuals improve their lives and make meaning of their past experiences. Unlike brief therapies that provide short-lived results, the psychodynamic approach has proven more effective in the long term in preventing the return of symptoms.

I enjoy working with people from all walks of life, including adults, artists, and LGBTQ coming from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds. I specialize in existential issues, childhood trauma (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and neglect), depression (which sometimes can be accompanied by hallucinations), anxiety, and relationships.

I am an objective, unafraid outsider without an agenda to label or medicate you.  My goal is to help you explore the tools you are using in dealing with life and change them, or adjust them to suit your goals. I believe that becoming self-aware and taking ownership of your choices can be an empowering and revealing experience, one in which you will gain clarity of thought and emotions.

Ready to take the next step? Contact me today!