Psychodynamic therapy

Abstract

From its early origins in the study of repressed memories and unconscious conflict to its more recent iterations as brief, relationship-focused treatments for increasingly diverse individuals, psychodynamic psychotherapy has adapted itself to the changing needs of its patients, practitioners, and the larger culture. At the same time, a clear tradition links the distinct phases of dynamic therapy. This chapter reviews seven articles that represent major themes and shifts in the work of dynamic therapy over the 125 years of its history. It presents the background for the genesis of each paper, the ways that the article responded to the context in which it arose, and the implications the article had for psychodynamic practice. Lastly, the chapter highlights how these landmark papers point to the continuing challenges and evolution of dynamic psychotherapy.