Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy originates from the work of Sigmund Freud. It is a form of talk therapy that explores the connection between a person's past experiences (often from childhood) and their current mindset. Alison utilizes Psychodynamic Therapy and the Creative Arts Therapies to explore the unconscious. According to research most of a person's behavior is driven by the unconscious.

I use psychodynamic therapy, combined with my experience as a certified Jungian coach, to explore behavioral patterns that often operate beneath the surface of awareness. By diving into the unconscious, I help clients uncover how past experiences and attachment patterns shape their current relationship with the self and the world. This deeper understanding fosters greater self-awareness, empowering clients to break free from limiting patterns and create more fulfilling lives.

In my clinical work with co-occurring disorder populations, I have drawn from a psychodynamic framework to great success. This simply means exploring one's struggles and how they tend to repeat or consistently present in a variety of contexts. It is often deeply rooted patterns that one is not even aware of that may be the cause of struggles and dissatisfaction in life. In my work, I seek to deconstruct these repetitive experiences and replace them with healthy patterns of behavior and coping.

I have studied Psychodynamic Theory since I was an undergraduate when I took a German Literature class where we read Freud in chronological order. My graduate studies had a psychodynamic emphasis.

Some of my clients wish to go deeper than just problem solving, symptom reduction, and skill-building. Employing aspects of psychodynamic therapy, I help people notice and review emotions, thoughts, early-life experiences, and beliefs to gain insight into their lives and present-day problems and to evaluate the patterns they have developed over time. Recognizing recurring patterns can help people see how they avoid distress or develop defense mechanisms to cope so that they can take steps to change those patterns. I draw on several different psychodynamic styles in order to tailor my approach to bet fit and help each individual client.

Our therapists offer their own eclectic approach, catered to each individual client, while also having a foundation in attachment based, psychodynamic therapy. We address current needs while also looking back at your past to relate where these patterns come from.

What happens between us as we relate is often a microcosm of the outside world. How important to understand this with clarity and compassion. My expertise here, again, is in the lifelong practice towards authentic relationally.

I was trained in psychodynamic therapy at the Smith School for Social Work. This means I am interested in how your past may be affecting your current behaviors and thoughts, and collaborate with you to make these past and present connections conscious so you can feel greater self-understanding and agency.

Psychodynamic therapy focuses on unconscious processes as they are manifested in the client’s present behavior. These unconscious processes can often drive maladaptive behavior and psychodynamic therapy aims to help the person discover unconscious thoughts and motivators so that they can change their behaviors. In psychodynamic therapy, this is done by increasing a person’s self-awareness and understanding of the influence of the past on present behavior.

Psychodynamic therapy draws from aspects of one's upbringing, relational and family dynamics, culture, and past experiences to better understand how someone operates and functions presently. Essentially, it's peeling back the layers of one's past to put meaning to current life challenges, behavioral patterns, as well as symptoms of mental health. This modality often involved reflecting, exploring, and using curiosity to better understand where the origins of one's problems may come from.

I recently completed a two-year psychodynamic psychotherapy program through the Western New England Psychoanalytic Institute in New Haven, Connecticut. I use psychodynamic psychotherapy in conjunction with DBT

Psychodynamic therapy is the modern version of talk therapy. I like to use it when clients have issues that require more exploration of their past experiences to get to the root of the problem. While cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on present thoughts and behaviors, psychodynamic therapy looks deeper into a person's past experiences, relationships, and unconscious patterns to uncover root causes that may fuel current emotional struggles.

I invite you to explore the deeper layers of your thoughts and feelings to uncover the roots of your experiences. If you’re feeling empty or struggle with commitments, this is a safe space for you. Together, we’ll address your anxieties about death, health, and important life choices while empowering you to take responsibility for your decisions. This approach is perfect if you feel isolated despite having supportive friends or face chronic health challenges.

Whenever I think about therapy, I want to know about how early experiences show up in your life today. Sometimes this means that we will look at how representations of important figures in your early life show up in your current relationships. Part of our goal will be to provide experiences - both in therapy and in your life outside of therapy - that help you build new models of relating to people that are more in line with your current life goals.

I take a psychodynamic approach that explores life experiences and the meaning we assign to them in order to help client better understand their inner world. This includes identification and exploration attachment styles, childhood, adolescence, and adult experiences, hopes, dreams, and fears. The benefits of exploring and identifying these things is a better understanding one's self and why they move through life as they do. This creates space for one to make informed and healthy life choices.

Psychodynamic therapy involves the exploration of you past experiences, especially in your childhood, to see how these past experiences connect to the way you view the world. This could involve understanding the relationship dynamics you had with family and friends in your past, and how these dynamics inform how you view your relationships today.

I trained under psychodynamic clinicians and have a strong developmental trauma focus in my practice. I strongly believe that most people carry the experiences and relationships dynamics they experienced during childhood into their adults. Sometimes we need support in making these connections and developing new patterns.

I was primarily trained as a psychodynamic psychotherapist, which new clients often hear from me during our initial phone consultation. I describe this form of therapy as a way of thoroughly examining patterns within our lives, often beginning with the family of origin, which has persisted within our relationships and are no longer working for us. Psychodynamic therapy explores habits and relationship dynamics to assist individuals in finding a way to cope more effectively with challenges.