Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy is a therapy that explores a person’s intra-psychic system. The approach centers on the psychodynamic theory that repressed feelings and reactions to ruptures in significant relationships lay at the heart of emotional suffering and that at a time in our lives this suffering and pain was so great that we built defenses to help us survive it. Whereas these defenses may have initially proved adaptive or useful, with time and if they become entrenched they will stop us from being in touch with our true feelings and become a barrier against closeness with others. Such, often unconscious, defenses will lead to feelings of depression, emotional deprivation and sometimes physical manifestations.
The therapy aims for the client to recognise these defenses, the cost to their mental and physical wellbeing and with the help of the therapist break through these defenses, which will allow them to once more function on an emotionally healthy level and a greater sense of wellbeing.
ISTDP is a very active and dynamic form of therapy and in this differs greatly from traditional psychoanalysis. The active nature of this therapy allows for a shorter treatment period, yet is highly effective even when you have experience longer term mental health issues.
The therapy is usually a minimum of 24 sessions of 1 hour to 1.5 hours.