Psychodynamic Conceptualization and Intervention in Psychotherapy (3 CEs)

Although many psychodynamic ideas were first suggested by Sigmund Freud a century ago, these concepts and how they are applied to psychotherapy have evolved and changed over the decades. This webinar will present a contemporary approach to practice and will explain how these dynamic ideas can be combined with other theories within a unified approach to psychotherapy. In order to promote a unified approach to treatment, this seminar will highlight how intrapsychic processes shape cognition, emotion, and behavior.
 

Psychological functioning is influenced by intrapsychic processes whether we attend to these effects or not. This webinar will introduce psychodynamic conceptualization based on three clinical hypotheses. First, it is important to attend to the integrity of the intrapsychic system and explore how conflicts are dealt with and whether there are maladaptive processes that are interfering with optimal functioning. Second, some clients are using defense mechanisms that were once adaptive but, as development has progressed, these defenses have lost their adaptive advantage. Third, some clients are experiencing intrapsychic conflicts between internal parts that may represent internalized objects that have been introjected from primary attachments.
 

Foundational psychodynamic skills will be described that address three general processes: (1) Exploration and functional analysis of defenses; (2) Guided discovery to uncover more adaptive intrapsychic functioning; and (3) Enacting adaptation outside of psychotherapy. These foundational psychodynamic skills will be demonstrated with role-play videos that will allow participants to see how they can explore defenses with their own clients.
 

The latter part of the webinar will introduce exploration of internal parts and intrapsychic conflicts. Internal parts have been described in different ways by theories including psychoanalysis, transactional analysis, emotion-focused therapy, and internal family systems. Participants will be encouraged to consider how these ideas can inform their own practice of psychotherapy with clients.
 

This seminar is part of Level Two of Training in Unified Psychotherapy (TUP), focusing on working contextually with external contexts and internal influences. An essential part of a unified approach to treatment is understanding the impact of intrapsychic defenses and conflicts on dysfunctional thoughts, feelings, and actions and fostering more adaptive responses.