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0117 377 1186
30 Alma Vale Road, Clifton, Bristol
30 Alma Vale Road, Clifton, Bristol
30 Alma Vale Rd, Bristol
0117 377 1186

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy offers something different from quick fixes or coping strategies. It is an invitation to understand the deeper currents shaping your experiences – your relationships, your choices, the stories you tell yourself about who you are.

This approach originated in psychoanalysis and traces how the past shapes your present, with the aim of helping you to better define the future you want. It explores not just what is happening, but why patterns persist and where they originate. The therapeutic relationship itself becomes a space to understand how you connect with others.

This work takes time. Your feelings, thoughts, and reactions are valuable information – not problems to eliminate. Sessions are grounded in whatever you feel like sharing, while staying orientated towards where you want to go. Good therapy co-creates the tools you need to get there.

FAQs about Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

    Psychodynamic Psychotherapy is based on the understanding that unconscious structures and early relational experiences shape who we become. Many of our patterns – how we relate to others, the choices we make, what feels possible – are influenced by experiences we may not consciously remember or understand.

    Psychodynamic Psychotherapy helps by bringing unconscious patterns into awareness. Rather than managing symptoms, it addresses the root causes. This helps you to relate more authentically in the present and to break intergenerational patterns passed down through your family. By understanding how the past shapes your present, you are freer to define your own future.

    • Relationship difficulties
    • Attachment issues
    • Intimacy problems
    • Creating healthy boundaries
    • Emotional regulation
    • Family building and fertility journeys
    • Pregnancy and postnatal experiences
    • Parenting challenges
    • Life transitions (divorce, career shifts, relocation, diagnoses)
    • Processing childhood experiences
    • Breaking intergenerational patterns
    • Anxiety, depression, OCD
    • Personality disorders
    • Low self-esteem, self-worth
    • Grief and loss
    • Trauma
    • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
    • Identity questions
    • Self-sabotage
    • People-pleasing
    • Perfectionism
    • Burnout and stress management
    • Communication skills
    • Conflict resolution

    Sessions are grounded in whatever you are currently experiencing or what comes to mind in the space. You might be surprised that therapy doesn’t feel as formal as you expected, and is like having a conversation.

    In your initial session, your therapist will ask you about what brings you to therapy at this particular point in time and explore what you would like to achieve through the sessions. They will take a simple case history.

    In this initial consultation you will get a sense of how your therapist works, and whether this is a good fit for you. On the rare occasion that your therapist feels they are not the best person for you to see, they will refer you to a colleague or local organisation.

    You will not need to undress and there is no physical contact. You sit in a chair (or lie down if you prefer) and are free to share as much or as little as you like.

    Therapy works best when sessions become part of your weekly rhythm, something you can rely on and plan around.

    How many sessions you need will be based on your treatment plan and how deeply you want to go. You can work this out with your therapist.

    As is standard in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, sessions are once or twice weekly depending on your needs.

    “It takes years and years” – While depth work does take time, many clients work short-term (several months) depending on their needs and goals. Sessions can be once or twice weekly.

    “You just lie on a couch talking about your childhood” – Sessions are conversational and grounded in whatever you are currently experiencing. Your therapist will explore with you how the past shapes the present, but only in service of defining the future you want.

    “It’s all about blaming your parents” – The work is about understanding patterns with compassion, not assigning blame. Breaking intergenerational patterns means freeing yourself to make different choices while honoring where you came from.

    “The therapist just sits silently” – your therapist will take a dynamic and relational approach.

    “You need a diagnosis to benefit” – Psychodynamic Psychotherapists work with clients both with and without formal diagnoses. Many people arrive with a vague sense that something feels off, not a specific diagnosis.

    Dervla Shannahan – £75 for 50 minutes

    Professional Registration: British Psychoanalytic Council

    Understanding Psychotherapy: The UKCP website and these books offer different insights into how psychotherapy works and how the therapeutic process unfolds:

Meet the Practitioners

 

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