Skip to main content

Douglas Wilson, Ph.D.

Areas of Focus/Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is based on the principles of psychodynamic theory, which emphasizes how early childhood experiences, unconscious conflicts, and internalized patterns shape our current functioning. This process enables individuals to gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their motivations, and their relationships.

ON THE SURFACE · WHAT YOU MIGHT NOTICE

  • Symptoms: anxiety, depression, anger, obsessional thinking
  • Relationship patterns that keep repeating
  • Reactions that feel bigger than the moment
  • A sense of being stuck, despite insight
  • Self-criticism whose source you can’t place
  • Decisions you keep making against your own interest

BENEATH · WHAT MAY BE AT WORK

  • Early relationships with caregivers, and the expectations they created
  • Conflicts between what you feel and what you believe you should feel
  • Defenses that once protected you and now limit you
  • Feelings that were set aside because there was no room for them
  • Patterns you inherited without choosing them

What the work looks like

Together, we can explore your past experiences, such as relationships with caregivers, society, and others and how those experiences could be impacting your current relationships and sense of self. By bringing awareness to these influences and exploring them in a safe, non-judgmental environment, our sessions aim to promote insight, self-reflection, and personal growth.

In practice, this means that our sessions are open-ended. You speak about what is on your mind, and I listen closely: not only to the content but to the patterns, the gaps, the feelings that come and go, and what happens between us. Dreams, slips, repetitions, and the moments when something is hard to say are all useful. So is the relationship itself, which often becomes a place where old patterns appear and can be understood in real time.

The iceberg, again

The iceberg model is a useful way to picture this. Most of what drives us is below the waterline. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a method for lowering the waterline: not all at once, and not by force, but gradually, so that more of what has been operating in the dark becomes something you can see, think about, and choose how to respond to.

Benefits of working from a psychodynamic perspective

  1. Resolving underlying issuesBy delving into the root causes of emotional challenges or psychological distress, we can identify and resolve underlying issues that may have been contributing to your symptoms. This focuses on addressing the root causes rather than just alleviating symptoms.
  2. Increased self-awarenessThis can support personal growth and lead to healthier coping strategies and decision-making.
  3. Enhanced relationshipsWe will explore patterns that are manifesting in your current relationships. By understanding how past experiences and unconscious dynamics influence current relationships, you can develop healthier and more fulfilling relationships with others.
  4. Increased emotional resilienceBy exploring and resolving unresolved conflicts and traumas, therapy can help you improve emotional resilience and gain a greater sense of your internal strengths and stability.
  5. Integration of past experiencesPast experiences, especially those that are unresolved or traumatic, can significantly impact one’s present life. I provide a safe space to help you process and integrate past experiences, leading to personal growth and a greater sense of wholeness.
  6. Long-term effectivenessBy addressing underlying issues and building deep self-awareness and skills, individuals often experience enduring benefits beyond the duration of therapy.

Tailoring the work

Additionally, I can also integrate other therapeutic techniques and approaches to tailor the treatment to fit your individual needs.

My training includes a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in depth psychology and a two-year certificate in adult psychoanalytic psychotherapy from The New Center for Psychoanalysis. That background informs much of what I do, whether we are working on anxiety, a relationship, or something harder to name.