The most important factor in psychotherapy is the therapeutic relationship established between the client and the therapist. The therapeutic relationship is the essential element for change. The therapeutic relationship is necessary for the client to value therapy and cooperate with the therapist. Benefits can be obtained from therapy at the rate of therapeutic cooperation.
The psychodynamic approach to psychotherapy treats the therapeutic relationship between the client and the therapist as the focus of the work, rather than as a tool for the implementation of a method.
Psychodynamics. According to the theory, our current psychological experiences/problems are shaped by our past experiences. Accordingly, in order to reach a healthy psychology, we need to confront our past experiences. For example; If a person has established a secure bond with their family, it is an indication that they will likely have established a secure bond with their current partner. People tend to repeat past experiences and emotions. This tendency to repeat also manifests itself in the therapeutic relationship with the therapist. The psychodynamic approach states that clients will reflect/transfer to their current therapists the experiences they had with people who were important to them in the past - usually their caregivers (mother, father, etc.). This is called “transfer.” In therapy, the client's transference experiences will emerge. Transference can be positive or negative. When positive transfer occurs; Transference can help therapy progress; the client can communicate his or her feelings to the therapist with ease and openness. When negative transference occurs, it becomes difficult for the client to open up about his/her feelings; because the feelings towards the therapist are very strong and the client withdraws. The transference potential in the client can change and transform with the analytical/dynamic framework and analytical/dynamic interpretation. When negative transference cannot be resolved, the client may come to the point of quitting therapy and the therapy may be left unfinished.
In psychodynamic therapy, the client's attachment style is examined (secure, dismissive, obsessive, fearful/anxious attachment), subconscious experiences are brought to the surface and the transference is resolved. During the therapy process, the therapist must break the client's unconscious defenses so that the therapy can continue. “Resistance” to these unconscious defenses It is called �. This is the resistance to change.
It is important that certain boundaries are drawn in the therapeutic relationship: Therapy should be performed on a specific day/days and time(s), the start and end time of the therapy should be specific and should not be flexible, the place where the therapy is performed should be as fixed as possible. the relationship with the client must remain within certain limits - for example, not turning into a partner relationship -, the principle of confidentiality must be adhered to, etc. These boundaries provide a safe environment for the client to examine their feelings, thoughts and experiences. In addition, a fixed therapy mechanism makes the client's unconscious fluctuations visible and allows working on them.
In psychodynamic therapy, change can occur when the client interprets the unconscious transfer process and learns how to establish a safe relationship with the therapist.
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