Ameliorative mechanisms of psychodynamic psychotherapy in the treatment of developmental trauma

Abstract

Towards ethically confronting the challenging and complex symptomology of developmental trauma this article proposes that psychodynamic therapy's inclusion of relational process contextual and attachment level considerations apply directly to the complexbio psycho social and systemic issues arising from such a dversity Acknowledging the problematic legacy of invalidating the very real impact of racial gender and socio economic disenfranchisement it is proposed that when accounting for these disparities psychodynamic therapy is powerfully suited to address the deeply embedded unspeakable aspects of traumatic experience including fragmented sense representations stored deep within somatic emotional memory Several essential components of this approach are explored along with a case summary detailing aspects of an integrated neurophysiological conceptualisation of developmental trauma These include linguistic and relational em phases correlating with the very hemispheric structure of our brain towards supporting reconfiguration of injured neurological networks corresponding with emotion regula tion executive function identity cohesion and capacity for cultivating mutually fulfilling relationships