Anyone have experience w/psychodynamic therapy? (questions)

Hi! I'm new here - it's nice to meet you all. I've posted on another forum, but need to find answers to more questions.

I just started psychodynamic therapy with a very experienced psychiatrist and analyist and think I may need support for the therapy (support for therapy-lol) in between visits to process all this stuff. Well it's all new to me-have been with 3 different therapists in the past long term but intermittent, and never felt much results. But they didn't do this type of therapy. I told this new psychiatrist that it seemed all my past therapists had tried to be my "friend", which didn't get me anywhere.

I've only seen him twice now and have overwhleming transferrence with him. I've never felt transferrence (noticably) -always wondered what it was like--now I know!!! I can barely think around him-I just feel. I had wondered why I felt so strange around him right from the beginning. (I knew his son-a doctor who left a lasting impression on me--and had preconceived notions about him before i met him and had 100% trust in him) So on the second visit, he dismantled my defense mechanisms and regressed me to a little girl. I thought I was just narrating my childhood history at the time-it took me several days to figure out what happened.

I had a lot of childhood trauma and had supressed all my childhood emotions, intellectualized everything all these years; I don't remember any of the emotions. Well, when he regressed me, I felt like a needy, vulnerable little girl. But since I dont remember feeling that way-I only remember feeling like an adult as long as i can remember-how did I know that is how I felt? I am in my 30s

So after that, I have a strong attachment to him. I long for him. I called him the next day. I didn't think of it at the time, but I think I called him for reassurance. I crave his reassurance. But why reassurance? I don't remember ever feeling needy or dependent upon another person; yet, i feel so needy with him. I feel like a little girl with him. Did he do that on purpose or did I alone facilitate the attachment?

So I'm sooo fascinated by this whole thing. Is this how it's supposed to happen? How do I handle longing for him and craving his reassurance all the time? Especially because he is not friendly, doesn't display emotions around me. I think he does this on purpose and am okay with it because it seems to have worked, whatever "worked" is..., but it's kind of hard to deal with. Do analysts normally remain this way the whole time? When he called me back, he really didn't give me reassurance-didn't say much and it made me long for him more. I can't wait to go back there.

So-I guess my main concern is the attachment to him, and his distant behavior and posture. While I know its for my benefit, it seems difficult to grasp and I'm not sure how to deal with the cravings to see him and for his reassurance. Are they like this the whole time, or did he do this to facilitate transference? How should I expect this to affect me during the course of treatment?

((((((((((((((((((((((((aphrodite))))))))))))))))))))))

Welcome to PC

I don't have a lot of answers, as I am only in therapy for the first time (but have been going for a little over a year and a half, twice a week). My T uses an eclectic approach, but mostly psychodynamic/humanistic, so I don't have a lot of experience with the "blank slate" approach.

However, I SO understand the urges for reassurance and the cravings to see him. That was very very hard for me at the beginning of therapy. Since then, it has kind of ebbed and flowed, but I almost never spend the amount of time thinking about him that I did early in therapy. It felt like an obsession - I thought about him ALL the time.

I don't have a lot of advice other than to trust the process. It's been slow-going, but my needs for him have changed over time. I do have a fair amount of contact available to me between sessions, and I really think that helps calm down the "OMG I have to see him!" feelings.

I'm sure you'll get many more helpful responses, but I didn't want to leave you hanging! Stick around, there's a lot of support here

Alphrodite, Yup I have been im psychodynamic therapy for almost 6yrs and am still just re-connecting with lost emotions. Its not a short journey and has many ups and downs.

This sounds kind of scary and fast, and also kind of aggressive. We build up defense mechanisms to protect ourselves; they are there for a reason. To just take them all away in one session sounds scary to me. Make sure you have a lot of trust in him and feel very SAFE with him before allowing him to do too much. It can actually be damaging. Be careful. Tell him if he is going too fast.

Good luck. Therapy can be life-changing.

Welcome to PC!

I have been with my PDOC (Psychiatrist) for about 2 years. I do both medication management and therapy with her. She is also from the psychoanalyst/psychodynamic approach.

The "blank" slate has done wonders in my therapy. I have been with 2 other T's and knew alot of their personal information. The "blank" slate has allowed me to share more. For instance, I needed to talk about religion. If I had known my Pdoc's religious affiliation (if any) I would have reduced and sensored what I was thinking.

Let us know how things go.

Treehouse, Mouse, Sunrise, Emilyjean-thanks for the warm welcome!!!

It's so nice to hear others talk about the same feelings! I'm like that too Treehouse, feeling a bit obsessed about it! Emilyjean, I think I find that approach very useful for me, too; I can't believe how much insight I got from just giving him my history-2nd meeting!

Sunrise, I can see why you think that should be a concern. But I think he really knows what he was doing-he's been a psychiatrist for 40 years, he's older, and seems highly skilled. When he did that to me, he didn't bring me back to an uncomfortable place w/trauma, he somehow just did it so I was brought back to the state of a child but w/o bad feelings (maybe I was actually 2??). Whatever he said, whatever he did, the only feeling I had was "being" as opposed to remembering bad feelings, being needy, little girl. I don't remember what he said when this was happening, i felt like i was in an altered state of consciousness with my subconscious wholly exposed. I'm thinking he either did that to induce the attachment and/or to see if I would 'take' to therapy with him; but he knew just what to say and do or what enviornment to 'put me in' so I wasn't feeling the bad emotions, just the little girl/needy feeling. I think that is when he just sat there and watched me for a while. Maybe the state began or progressed in the way it did when he quit talking. I remember him watching me carefully for a long time and silent, guessing maybe while i regressed? Just don't remember what he was saying to induce that state... I trust him 100%. I think he knew exactly how to do produce the effect he wanted and knew he wouldn't be potentially harming me.

I read analysts do a preliminary assessment first to see if one is a candidate for this therapy, and i think he'll decide this week if he can treat me, during our third meeting.

So from what I've heard here and elsewhere, it seems most see their doc quite often and have contact between appts? Is that usually ecouraged by the therapist as far as you all know? I did want to call him again.

And do they regress you all the time like that?!



I like these cute little smiles and stuff

Hey-another question crossed my mind. How many days per week is the norm for doing this type of therapy? Do insurance companies usually limit the # days per week?

hey it seems a little bit too fast to be doing regression and everything. If it was me i would be so scared of it.

I have seen a psychodynamic psychotherapist for 4 years and she has never done anything like that.

If it helps you then thats great.

Hey Crystal,

I'm glad you pointed that out. He didn't regress me to a traumatic event, but only to a state of mind. It was bizarre like I was in a trance and the only way to explain it. I felt safe, and it was the most insightful experience I've had in 8 years of therapy.

I can't post links, but here is an easy-to-read article on regression if anyone is interested:

wholeminds.com/web/index.php?module=article&view=3

Oops. here is the article:

Regression therapy is a therapeutic process that uses one’s earlier life experiences as source material to resolve current problems. This concept is similar to psychodynamic therapy. However, regression therapy is more solution-focused, whereas psychodynamic therapy is more interested in the process and the experience.

What is Regression Therapy? by Ray Doktor, Psy. D.

Every adept therapist practicing regression or past-life therapy eventually develops his or her own theories, techniques, and style. Past-life and regression therapy is explained in general terms in this article; opinions may vary.

Regression therapy is a therapeutic process that uses one’s earlier life experiences as source material to resolve current problems. This concept is similar to psychodynamic therapy. However, regression therapy is more solution-focused, whereas psychodynamic therapy is more interested in the process and the experience. Past life therapy encompasses all the same techniques and theories as regression therapy, however, the boundaries are lifted from the conscious mind, enabling the client to explore a past-life.

Regressing someone back to his childhood or a past-life is by no means a phenomenon. If you listen carefully, people regress all the time, whether it’s at a *bleep*tail party or standing in line at a grocery store. In a therapeutic setting, a therapist will help a client regress and to make the unconscious conscious. By using different therapeutic techniques such as hypnotherapy, guided imagery, relaxation exercises or just talk-therapy, a client can be regressed into a past memory that may be influencing his present life in a negative way.

Unlike many traditional talk-therapy modalities, hypnotic techniques help bypass the client’s analytical mind, thus enabling the therapist to elicit forgotten memories, including suppressed and repressed issues. The more unconscious identification there is, the less our ego is able to assert and defend itself against the inner compulsions and beliefs. Many forgotten memories, especially traumatic ones, are instilled in the unconscious mind. We all have defense mechanisms that shut down our innate ability to tap into our emotions due to our inability to cope with stress, fear, or pain. Compartmentalizing or trying to forget painful experiences is usually our natural tendency. After years of repressing these issues, the actual facts of the event and the emotions that are associated with the event become fragmented – waiting to be unleashed and reconciled.

Studies show that generally a strong experience of catharsis is needed to alleviate one from unwanted beliefs, complexes, or destructive behaviors. Pioneer of psychology Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) learned hypnosis from Joseph Breuer (1842-1925), who had treated a young woman suffering from neurotic symptoms, which they diagnosed as hysteria in 1880. Breuer had the patient discuss past events in a state of deep hypnosis. She was able to recall traumatic events from her childhood, which she could not remember in her conscious state. She was able to integrate the experiences and connect them to her emotions. The end result was that her neurotic symptoms disappeared. Breuer and Freud’s earliest technical efforts were referred to as the “cathartic method” (Brueur and Freud, 1893-1895). Sources say that Freud's success rate with such hypnotic techniques was very poor. He finally abandoned hypnosis and worked mainly with free association for memory recall and to explore the unconscious. Freud’s condemnation of hypnosis combined with the growing reputation of psychoanalysis caused the medical profession to reject hypnosis. Milton Erickson (1901-1980) was trained as psychiatrist, but was most known for his innovative techniques in hypnotherapy, which helped revive hypnosis. It was not until the middle of the 20th century that hypnosis was again accepted as a valuable technique in therapy and for medical and clinical applications.

The framework in facilitating a proper regression is to encourage a client to reenact or experience a traumatic event to as if it were happening and being experienced again. The client is guided to stay focused on all the sensations and feelings that come with the experience on a physical and emotional level. The objective is to get the client passed the point of his conflict, confusion or fear. What makes the experience different and healing for the client is he is able to got honor his true emotions and perceptions of the event without being judged or criticized. The therapist provides a safe space for the client to reconnect and integrate his emotions with the event. When the client moves through his discomfort, this creates the turning point where the client releases or gains better understanding with whatever issues have been constricting him.

Today, there are still mixed opinions about the efficacy of regression therapy. There are non-believers who feel that regression therapy is unnecessary and that the therapist is planting information in the client’s mind. Some feel that it is like brainwashing. These are just myths caused by misinformation and inept therapists. Whether a client is under hypnosis or in a trance, he is fully conscious and in control at all times during the session. He can reject whatever is being said to him. In a properly facilitated session, a therapist will elicit or evoke information that only comes from the client. Every experience is subjective. The only way to truly judge whether or not regression therapy is effective is by one’s own experience. The most important ingredient of any type of therapy is the interpersonal relationship. The technique is secondary.

Very intresting but ones own personal experience is much more so!! Enjoy!