Frequently Asked Questions About Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a widely used form of ‘talking therapy’ focusing on helping people address challenges by exploring unconscious thoughts, past experiences, and emotional patterns. Whilst it is commonly practised, it can seem complex or unfamiliar to some. For those interested in becoming a psychodynamic psychotherapist, it’s natural to have questions about the required training, career pathways, and opportunities for progression.

Below, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about psychodynamic psychotherapy, to provide a more rounded understanding of this therapy, as well as how you can train and progress in this career.

What is Psychodynamic Psychotherapy?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a ‘talking therapy’ which helps people identify, explore and work through their difficulties. It focuses on unconscious processes as they are manifested in a patient’s present behavior and helps gain an understanding of the influence of the past on present relationships. Even though feelings related to past experiences may be unconscious, they can continue to have a powerful influence over our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour in the present.

How Does Psychodynamic Therapy Work?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy helps you become aware of hidden meanings or patterns in what you do or say that may contribute to your difficulties. It is also based on the idea that the significant relationships you have had in the past can be superimposed on the present. Through regular sessions with a psychodynamic psychotherapist, patients can begin to make meaningful changes that help them overcome emotional difficulties.

Psychodynamic and Other Forms of Therapy: What Sets it Apart?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a therapeutic process which helps patients understand and resolve their problems by increasing awareness of their inner world and its influence over relationships both past and present. It differs from most other therapies in aiming for deep seated change in personality and emotional development, and uncovering the root causes of challenges that they are facing.

What to Expect in a Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Session and Who Can Benefit from it

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is based on the technique of free association – that is, in saying whatever is going through your mind at the time. People with a range of difficulties can benefit from psychodynamic psychotherapy – both mild and acute. For example, depression and anxiety, difficulties with social interaction and intimate relationships, eating disorders and addictions, panic and stress-related physical ailments. Often people come to therapy

because they feel things are not quite right – they’re not happy, not fulfilled or they feel isolated.

How Do You Train as a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist?

To train as a psychodynamic psychotherapist, study for an undergraduate degree such as psychology, nursing, medicine or social work and then take a pre-clinical accredited postgraduate qualification such as a Foundation Certificate or Diploma in Psychological Therapies (preferably with a voluntary placement so you can gain experience). Entry requirements for a clinical training programme would typically be as follows:

• Prior psychodynamic counselling/therapy course to certificate level (or equivalent – normally HE Certificate in Psychodynamic Counselling or equivalent).
• And/or relevant professional experience (e.g. nursing, social work, teaching).
• First degree or other evidence of academic ability.
• Counselling or counselling-related experience in professional or voluntary capacity.
• Emotional resilience and capacity for self-reflection.

Career Pathways After Training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

You might decide to become self-employed and set up a private practice, or work within a public-sector healthcare setting such as the NHS. You might also choose to move into academic research. With additional experience and advanced skills training, you could take on a teaching or supervisory role, specialise in a particular therapeutic approach as an advanced skills clinician/practitioner, or take an intensive analytic programme.

Advanced Training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: What Are the Next Steps?

There is further advanced training that psychodynamic psychotherapists can take to further advance their careers. You can opt to specialise in a certain therapeutic approach with advanced skills training. You might also decide to take an intensive analytic programme as a top-up in order to qualify as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist.

Why Take Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Training?

The PD Training at the British Psychotherapy Foundation is a BPC-accredited clinical training programme which has a number of unique features. The training is focused on employability and set up for the work-place through a hybrid of both placement and training patient work (eg a mixture of private practice and clinical work in a placement setting). To this end, we offer support to gain a suitable placement In Years 2 and 3 through our Placement Tutor and patient referrals from our clinical service in Years 3 and 4.

The curriculum is a balance between traditional and contemporary psychoanalytic concepts and ideas; is pluralist in focus with an emphasis on the development of clinical skills; co-constructed by trainees; and taught by tutors and guest seminar leaders who are eminent in their field.

On a more practical note, we have a placement tutor to support trainees obtain a placement in Year 2 (a key pre-requisite for gaining clinical experience as a trainee psychotherapist) and the opportunity to gain experience in private practice during Years 3 and 4 (training patients are referred directly from the British Psychotherapy Foundation clinical services.)

We also include supervision for the first training patient within the fees. The British Psychotherapy Foundation is a membership body with a life-long professional development ethos. So, both during training and post-qualification, members will have access to ongoing CPD alongside intensively trained colleagues, and child and adolescent psychotherapists. As a British Psychotherapy Foundation member you will also have access to post-qualification resources and training including invitations to take on patients from our low fee therapy scheme.

Enquire Regarding Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Training in London

To enquire regarding Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Training at the British Psychotherapy Foundation, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can provide further information on our training programmes, and support you in making the right career decisions. Reach us by email [email protected], or by calling 020 8452 9823.