Psychodynamic Therapy in Greenwich, CT & New York City

Psychodynamic Therapy

Overview

Psychodynamic therapy focuses on the psychological roots of emotional suffering and is effective for a wide range of problems, including depression, anxiety, panic, and stress-related physical ailments. This type of therapy involves self-reflection, self-examination, and sometimes, using the relationship between the therapist and the client as a window into problems the client has in relationships outside of therapy. The clinician helps the client put words to feelings, including those that are troubling or threatening and those that individuals may not at first recognize or acknowledge. In addition, the clinician helps individuals explore recurring patterns in their lives that are troublesome. In some cases, a client may be acutely aware of painful or self-defeating patterns but feel unable to escape them (e.g., a man who repeatedly finds himself drawn to romantic partners who are emotionally unavailable; a woman who regularly sabotages herself when success is at hand). In other cases, the client may be unaware of such patterns until the therapist helps them recognize and understand them.

Exploring Our Experiences

Psychodynamic therapy recognizes that past experiences affect how we live in the present. It is important to explore early experiences, the relation between past and present, and the ways in which the past tends to “live on” in the present. The focus is not on the past for its own sake but on how the past sheds light on current psychological difficulties. The goal is to help patients free themselves from the bonds of past experience to live more fully in the present.

Greenwich Psychology Group clinicians aim not only to alleviate the most obvious symptoms but to help people lead healthier lives by getting to the root of the problem. For example, depression can be thought of not as a disease but rather a symptom of something underlying it, much like a fever. Fever is a nonspecific response to a wide range of underlying conditions, from the common cold to life-threatening diseases. Diagnosis does not end with taking a patient’s temperature. Similarly, depression is a nonspecific response to a wide range of underlying difficulties. We recognize the need to treat the underlying causes of the depression (‘fever’).

Our Goal

Our goal is to relieve symptoms and help the client develop insight and build up their psychological capacities and resources. These might include the capacity to:

Have more fulfilling relationships
Make more effective use of one’s talents and abilities
Maintain a realistic sense of self-esteem
Tolerate a broader range of emotional experiences
Have more satisfying intimate experiences
Understand oneself and others in more nuanced and sophisticated ways
Face life’s challenges with greater freedom and flexibility

Take the GPG Symptom Checker

At Greenwich Psychology Group, our symptom checker helps clients track their symptoms of depression or anxiety. Taking the assessment doesn't provide a formal diagnosis, but it can help you determine what next steps you may need to take. The evaluation uses a series of questions to review the feelings and symptoms you've experienced over the past two weeks. The results will help you distinguish if professional help is the best next step.

Begin