Therapy isn’t just for times of crisis or managing symptoms; both of these solution-focused therapies are necessary and helpful in certain seasons of our lives. However, engaging in depth work through psychodynamic psychotherapy moves beyond these “last resort” therapies and into a proactive tool for long-term wellness and personal growth and development.
Shifting From How to Why
Most of our psychological life exists beneath the surface. Think of the metaphor of an iceberg: While some therapies focus on the “tip” of the iceberg, the things above the surface such as current thoughts and behaviors, depth work therapies explore the part of the iceberg that is submerged; our motivations and defensive patterns that drive our thoughts and behaviors. These lay under the surface and are less accessible, less known to us.
Unlike solution-focused approaches that ask how to change or what to do, depth work asks why a pattern exists. It traces current symptoms like anxiety or relationship distress back to primary wounds or “unfinished business” from the past.
Psychodynamic therapy yields positive outcomes for complex or chronic issues. Unlike short-term fixes, its benefits often continue to grow even after treatment ends—a phenomenon known as the “sleeper effect.” The result is not just the absence of symptoms, but increased “flexibility” in life, better relationship quality, and a more authentic sense of purpose.
Making the Unconscious Conscious
One of the central goals of this kind of depth work is to bring your hidden thoughts, feelings, and memories into your awareness. Once these forces are conscious, they no longer “direct your life” like hidden strings pulling you as if by fate or destiny. Making these connections help us get to the why that is often hidden from our knowledge.
To make the unconscious conscious, depth work utilizes tools like dream analysis or free association; through these techniques, we can begin to understand the symbols and metaphors our minds use to communicate our repressed needs or creative potential. Let’s take a brief look at each of these.
Dream analysis, sometimes called “dream work,” explores the content experienced by a person in a sleeping state. In psychotherapy we distinguish between the manifest content, that is the literal story the dream is telling, and the latent content, which speaks to the hidden motives or fears, in order to find the deeper meaning. Dreams in this way provide a safe enough distance for the patient to confront painful or unthinkable thoughts through the dream’s symbolic dramatization.
Free association is pouring out spontaneous thoughts, words or feelings in the moment. The content is non-linear, stream-of-consciousness, informally referred to as “word vomit.” Free association is done in a conscious state during a therapeutic session in an effort to communicate without a filter, thus by-passing their conscious censorship (or super-ego for all you Freud fans out there). Thus, unconscious material can come to the surface organically.
Both of these tools are meant to get access to the unconscious, looking to the deeper desires, fears and drives that emerge through patterns and themes, identifying places of resistance and making connections.
Therapy as a Relational Lab
One of the most impactful tools in psychotherapy is the therapeutic relationship, which is why choosing your therapist is so important. (You can look back at our series on why your therapist matters). Therapy becomes a relational lab where the therapeutic relationship itself becomes material for exploration as the patient’s relational dynamics are revealed. This happens through a process called transference where a patient unconsciously transfers their past relationship dynamics onto the therapist in the present. Then a skilled therapist, through observing the “here and now” interactions, will bring attention to and help identify these old patterns in real time. It is through the consistent, non-judgmental stance of the therapist that a safe-enough space is created for exploring these relational dynamics and welcoming the parts of the self that are often rejected, ignored, or are a source of shame to the patient. Psychotherapy can facilitate healing by repairing attachment by way of providing a corrective emotional experience where the patient can receive a healthier, more attuned response than originally experienced by their caregivers. Or put another way: people need more than new information, they need a new relational experience. Psychotherapy can be that healing experience.
So Who is This Work For?
Depth work is ideal for people who feel “stuck” in recurring cycles, those with a desire for personal growth and development, or anyone experiencing a sense of “inner hollowness” despite outward success. It’s for people who want to improve their relationships, build resilience and enhance their quality of life. It requires an openness and willingness to move from a “fix-it” mindset to one of curiosity and patience, where one can view the psyche as a landscape to be discovered rather than a problem to be solved
If this sounds like work you would like to begin, reach out to one of our clinicians for a free consultation to get started.
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