Psychodynamic Counselling
Psychodynamic theory includes many different ideas but here is a brief introduction.
“Psychodynamic”, literally means that a person’s mind, emotions and spirit are active, not set in a mould. Within the whole person, or “self”, different aspects may be highlighted. For example, “I have a really stubborn part of myself” or “He can be quite soft hearted”. The idea is that, just as we relate to other people in different ways, we also relate to parts of ourselves, as if there is an ongoing internal conversation.
In Psychodynamic thinking, these conversations are based on impressions we developed when we were young; the impact close relationships made on us. So when someone says “I was really annoyed with myself”, there is a reminder of a parent actually being annoyed.
Relationships are therefore central to a major strain of psychodynamic thinking – how we relate to other people now, as well as to the different aspects of ourselves. Within counselling past and present relationships are likely to feature, including the relationship between counsellor and client.
