How psychodynamic therapy helps to break the cycle of unhealthy relationships

Psychodynamic therapy can help one to understand the root of their own conflicting feelings. When this psychodynamic approach is used in couple’s therapy, one can begin to understand the root of their partner’s conflicting feelings.  This understanding can move mountains and have excellent results for building continued growth within the relationship.

The three bricks that build and maintain a good solid relationship are: 

• communication
• trust
• intimacy

When one of the bricks shatters, it effects both of the others.  

Thus the goal to a good, balanced and loving relationship is to truly love what is good in our partners as well as what is not so good. One learns to love the whole human person with all of his/her foibles.

The focus of emotionally focused psychodynamic couples therapy is for each person in the relationship to understand and take responsibility for their part in building these three bricks.  

Three key factors for each person in the relationship is understanding the effects of their own:

• projection
• impact
• empathy

And and how these factors influence on the dyad of the relationship.

Projection: each person in the relationship begins to understand when they are projecting and when they actually have something important to communicate to the other.  

Impact: each person in the relationship understands that their actions have an impact on the other, whether good or bad.

Empathy: this may be the most important aspect. The understanding what life is like living in our partners shoes.

Emotionally focused psychodynamic couples therapy can help a couple in distress rebuild the foundation of their loving relationship and strengthen their bond and commitment to one another.