Psychodynamic therapy addresses a person’s unconscious processes and how they are demonstrated in their present behaviour. The goals of such therapies are self-awareness and understanding of preceding erroneous influences, in order to change of one’s present behaviour (Howard, 2006). Brief Psychodynamic therapy applies the aforementioned principles using collaborative work over a set out amount of time to show the client can make better choices. This academic piece will begin by defining brief psychodynamic therapy, its inherent formation and what makes it distinctive. It will go on to look beyond the initial development and focus on two different approaches of psychodynamic brief therapy which have expanded the theory. Finally it will go on to address how it is used within current organisations with the example of working with young people to address current issues in relation to brief psychodynamic therapy and other theories. To conclude, the essay will show that brief psychodynamic therapy can be used effectively and efficiently without it being necessary to always use long term, in-depth therapy .
Brief psychodynamic therapy consists of several therapeutic strategies; sometimes referred to as short term or solution focused therapy. Psychodynamic theories endeavour to look at how change can happen in order to make a difference in the here and now. It is aimed at resolving problems in a client’s conscious present condition, where client is experiencing a crisis point, by examining the unconscious processes (Jacobs, 2004). Within brief therapy many theorists have different ideas about the meaning of the term brief. It can refer to an unspecified time period between three hours and forty sessions, although