Many individuals seek therapy because of uncomfortable symptoms – things such as increased anxiety, low mood, poor self esteem, disordered eating, difficulties in relationships, or a general sense of unease. However, over time, it often becomes clear that the problem is not simply the symptoms. Instead, symptoms are messengers for deeper unresolved concerns. At some level, individuals seek therapy not just because they are experiencing uncomfortable symptoms, but because they realise that they themselves are the concern. They want more for themselves and of themselves in their lives.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a talking treatment based on the idea that thoughts and feelings that you may not be aware of can cause problems such as anxiety, depression, poor self esteem, and difficulty with relationships. One way that we deal with painful or difficult thoughts and feelings is to put them out of our minds – that is, to make them unconscious. But even if we don’t think about them, unconscious thoughts and feelings can affect how we think, feel, and behave.

In psychodynamic therapy, we will work together to increase your capacity to acknowledge that which is not conscious – that is, to discover what is difficult or painful to see in yourself. In this approach, we look to uncover what may be going on to evoke your symptoms, and consider symptoms to be powerful clues to your unconscious life. Over time, better solutions and different ways of living emerge.