“The present moment is the mother of the future.
Take care of the mother, and the mother will take care of the child.”
Quote posted with permission from Amy Gutman
PlanBNation.net
Showing posts with label mindfulness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mindfulness. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Sunday, July 18, 2010
What is Psychodynamic Therapy, Anyway?
For some, psychodynamic therapy has a bad name. For others, it is a bit of a mystery. What some people might not know is that psychodynamic therapy (a broader application of psychoanalytic therapy) has evolved over the years since Freud discovered the unconscious and theorized that all mental distress originates from unresolved sexual and aggressive conflicts.
Present-day psychodynamic therapy tends to be more accessible and “user-friendly.” Psychologist Jonathan Shedler (2010) found that contemporary psychodynamic therapy is effective and that patients who receive this type of therapy benefit from it and continue to improve after their therapy ends. Shedler (2010, pp. 98-100) discusses seven features that characterize the practice of contemporary psychodynamic therapy and distinguish it from other therapeutic approaches. Here is a brief discussion of these features.
1. Focus on and expression of emotion. The psychodynamic therapist encourages the client to express their full range of emotions, to put words to their emotional experience.
2. Exploration of attempts to avoid uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. We all tend to use certain behaviors and, sometimes, addictions to avoid thoughts and feelings that cause us pain and discomfort. These avoidance behaviors are explored in psychodynamic therapy, to understand how the client uses them to cover over thoughts and feelings. Clients can then work on experiencing previously avoided thoughts and feelings in a safe, non-judgmental context.
3. Exploration of themes and patterns. Increasing awareness and understanding of the themes and patterns in one’s thoughts, feelings, self-concept, relationships and experiences allows a person to make more satisfying choices and to avoid self-defeating behaviors.
4. Exploration of past experiences. Awareness and understanding of a client's past, and how past experiences re-play in the present, can help explain the client's current psychological challenges. "The goal is to help patients free themselves from the bonds of past experience in order to live more fully in the present.” (Shedler, 2010, p.99).
5. Focus on interpersonal relationships. Interpersonal relationships can suffer when one’s self-defeating, recurring behaviors interfere with intimacy and the ability to get one’s emotional needs met in a relationship.
6. Focus on the therapy relationship. A person’s relationship themes and patterns tend to play out in the therapy relationship as well. This provides an opportunity for the therapist and client to explore the client’s interpersonal patterns in a very direct, in-the-moment way.
7. Exploration of wishes, fantasies and dreams. A foundation of psychodynamic theory is that a person’s wishes, fantasies and dreams contain valuable information about a person’s view of themselves and others. Exploration of this material in therapy provides the client and therapist with additional avenues of discovering what is blocking the client from living a more authentic life, as well as the means for the client to begin to live more authentically.
In my work, I use a blend of psychodynamic therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help clients become more aware of their thinking, and how their thinking affects their feelings and behavior. The mindfulness component helps clients sharpen their awareness and learn to breathe and relax even in the midst of uncomfortable or distressing thoughts and feelings. (See my earlier blog entry entitled, A Simple Approach to Working with Mindfulness).
These approaches work well together. Mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral therapy helps strengthen client’s awareness and ability to tolerate difficult moments, both useful skills for working in a psychodynamic mode. Most important to me is discovering and utilizing a mode of working that seems helpful to each client.
Reference:
Shedler, J., (2010). The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy. American Psychologist, 65, 98-109.
Present-day psychodynamic therapy tends to be more accessible and “user-friendly.” Psychologist Jonathan Shedler (2010) found that contemporary psychodynamic therapy is effective and that patients who receive this type of therapy benefit from it and continue to improve after their therapy ends. Shedler (2010, pp. 98-100) discusses seven features that characterize the practice of contemporary psychodynamic therapy and distinguish it from other therapeutic approaches. Here is a brief discussion of these features.
1. Focus on and expression of emotion. The psychodynamic therapist encourages the client to express their full range of emotions, to put words to their emotional experience.
2. Exploration of attempts to avoid uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. We all tend to use certain behaviors and, sometimes, addictions to avoid thoughts and feelings that cause us pain and discomfort. These avoidance behaviors are explored in psychodynamic therapy, to understand how the client uses them to cover over thoughts and feelings. Clients can then work on experiencing previously avoided thoughts and feelings in a safe, non-judgmental context.
3. Exploration of themes and patterns. Increasing awareness and understanding of the themes and patterns in one’s thoughts, feelings, self-concept, relationships and experiences allows a person to make more satisfying choices and to avoid self-defeating behaviors.
4. Exploration of past experiences. Awareness and understanding of a client's past, and how past experiences re-play in the present, can help explain the client's current psychological challenges. "The goal is to help patients free themselves from the bonds of past experience in order to live more fully in the present.” (Shedler, 2010, p.99).
5. Focus on interpersonal relationships. Interpersonal relationships can suffer when one’s self-defeating, recurring behaviors interfere with intimacy and the ability to get one’s emotional needs met in a relationship.
6. Focus on the therapy relationship. A person’s relationship themes and patterns tend to play out in the therapy relationship as well. This provides an opportunity for the therapist and client to explore the client’s interpersonal patterns in a very direct, in-the-moment way.
7. Exploration of wishes, fantasies and dreams. A foundation of psychodynamic theory is that a person’s wishes, fantasies and dreams contain valuable information about a person’s view of themselves and others. Exploration of this material in therapy provides the client and therapist with additional avenues of discovering what is blocking the client from living a more authentic life, as well as the means for the client to begin to live more authentically.
In my work, I use a blend of psychodynamic therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help clients become more aware of their thinking, and how their thinking affects their feelings and behavior. The mindfulness component helps clients sharpen their awareness and learn to breathe and relax even in the midst of uncomfortable or distressing thoughts and feelings. (See my earlier blog entry entitled, A Simple Approach to Working with Mindfulness).
These approaches work well together. Mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral therapy helps strengthen client’s awareness and ability to tolerate difficult moments, both useful skills for working in a psychodynamic mode. Most important to me is discovering and utilizing a mode of working that seems helpful to each client.
Reference:
Shedler, J., (2010). The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy. American Psychologist, 65, 98-109.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
A Simple Approach to Working With Mindfulness
Imagine mindfulness as a three-legged stool. The seat is mindfulness, the three legs are awareness, acceptance, and compassion (starting with self-compassion). Each leg is one part of a three-step process, to be used in conjunction with awareness of your breathing.
First, present awareness involves focusing your attention on the present place, the present moment--paying attention to where you are right here, right now. By paying attention to what is happening within you and around you, you can calm your mind rather than being "hijacked," without realizing or choosing it, into peripheral thoughts, feelings or things going on in the environment
Second, acceptance. Acceptance does not mean resignation or being passive. It simply means seeing what is happening within you or around you as it actually is in the present moment. Seeing it and stepping back from it, without judging it. By doing so, you are further calming yourself, and allowing yourself to make choices about how you wish to act, or not act, in that very moment. Even if you cannot change an internal or external event, by practicing mindfulness, you can learn to remain calm in the face of it.
Third, compassion, which begins with self-compassion. Self-compassion involves showing yourself kindness and understanding, not judging yourself. It can be very powerful in creating a sense of calm and joy. As you show compassion towards yourself, you are better able, and more willing, to extend compassion to others.
First, present awareness involves focusing your attention on the present place, the present moment--paying attention to where you are right here, right now. By paying attention to what is happening within you and around you, you can calm your mind rather than being "hijacked," without realizing or choosing it, into peripheral thoughts, feelings or things going on in the environment
Second, acceptance. Acceptance does not mean resignation or being passive. It simply means seeing what is happening within you or around you as it actually is in the present moment. Seeing it and stepping back from it, without judging it. By doing so, you are further calming yourself, and allowing yourself to make choices about how you wish to act, or not act, in that very moment. Even if you cannot change an internal or external event, by practicing mindfulness, you can learn to remain calm in the face of it.
Third, compassion, which begins with self-compassion. Self-compassion involves showing yourself kindness and understanding, not judging yourself. It can be very powerful in creating a sense of calm and joy. As you show compassion towards yourself, you are better able, and more willing, to extend compassion to others.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Don’t Just Do--Be
“We are so obsessed with doing that we have no time and no imagination left for being.”
- Thomas Merton, March 4th entry from The Reflective Counselor: Daily Meditations for Lawyers, by Coffey & Kessler.
Coffey & Kessler encourage professionals to experience the fullness of their humanity in their work—“body, mind and spirit.” They believe that despite the necessity of limiting certain aspects of ourselves in professional interactions, full awareness of our varied facets is crucial.
The more we are able to self-reflect and be true to our deepest selves, the more satisfaction and richness we will experience in our daily lives. When life seems to be veering off course, the more likely we will be able to find our way back to an authentic path. When going through difficult times, our connection to body, mind and spirit can steer us through and provide the sense of perspective that softens even the most bitter realities.
What better time for this March 4th entry to appear than today, as the weekend approaches and the temperature is rising, the rain and snow are stopping, and the sun is appearing. Take time this weekend to honor your body, mind and spirit. Remember to bring them to work with you on Monday.
- Thomas Merton, March 4th entry from The Reflective Counselor: Daily Meditations for Lawyers, by Coffey & Kessler.
Coffey & Kessler encourage professionals to experience the fullness of their humanity in their work—“body, mind and spirit.” They believe that despite the necessity of limiting certain aspects of ourselves in professional interactions, full awareness of our varied facets is crucial.
The more we are able to self-reflect and be true to our deepest selves, the more satisfaction and richness we will experience in our daily lives. When life seems to be veering off course, the more likely we will be able to find our way back to an authentic path. When going through difficult times, our connection to body, mind and spirit can steer us through and provide the sense of perspective that softens even the most bitter realities.
What better time for this March 4th entry to appear than today, as the weekend approaches and the temperature is rising, the rain and snow are stopping, and the sun is appearing. Take time this weekend to honor your body, mind and spirit. Remember to bring them to work with you on Monday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)