The city is a tough place to live. If you live in a big city like New York, you know how common it is to struggle with all that life throws at you, and you may have wondered if it’s time to get some help through “talk therapy.”
One of the big questions people have, though, is whether this kind of therapy actually works. Many people seem to assume psychodynamic therapy (which focuses on unconscious processes which reveal themselves in conscious thoughts) is just so much navel-gazing, and that there’s no real evidence it does anything. But here’s what you need to know.
Psychodynamic therapy works as well as any other therapy
Not only does psychodynamic therapy work, but in some applications, it can be even better than other interventions. It can be difficult to quantify results when dealing with mental health, but by studying the effect size of various treatments, however, it is possible to get an understanding of what works and what doesn’t.
A recent study published by the Cochrane Library measured the effect size (or treatment benefits) of psychodynamic therapy and compared them with the use of antidepressants and cognitive-behavior therapy. Psychodynamic therapy had an effect size of 0.97, while antidepressants scored a depressingly low 0.31. Even cognitive behavior therapy, long touted as more evidence-based than psychodynamic therapy, scored lower at 0.68.
Psychodynamic therapy has changed
Speak of “talk therapy,” and most people (courtesy of television and movies) conjure up visions of a long couch and an expressionless therapist, with patients coming in several times a week to talk at random about what they think and feel. The therapy never seems to truly end.
The modern session has changed drastically. Therapy is measured in weeks, not in years, and the discussions are in no way random. They are targeted and effective, with proven results. In fact, it is possible to map changes to the human brain and see the effect that psychodynamic therapy has.
The therapist makes the difference
Who you choose is extremely important to the success or failure of therapy. This shouldn’t be surprising. How many football teams will fire their coach this year, hunting for the one that can do exactly what they need? How many times have you heard someone moan about the butchering some plumber did on their dishwasher installation? Getting the right professional is always key.
How do you find the right therapists in NYC? You find the right therapists by asking the right questions. You want to know how and why therapists thinks you’ll be helped by what they’re offering. Don’t be satisfied with a vague answer. You also want to look for someone who can help you put into words what it is you really want to say. This shows a therapist is interested in what’s happening in your mind and has the facility to draw out your ideas.
Think about the small to get to the big
We all want a quick fix to our problems and to the pain and distress we feel. The problem is that the things we tend to fixate on as the fix (“if I just had a million dollars, things would be better”) aren’t actually effective fixes. Therapists’ offices are filled with just as many rich people as poor ones, and therapy isn’t about helping people find these sorts of temporary fixes. It’s about helping people take charge of their own change.
Small changes, changes on the micro level, can have immense consequences down the line. Understanding this is the first step towards cooperating with psychotherapy in a way that will help you get the results you need. Psychotherapy is about finding out who you really are, what you really want and need, and being the change you want to see. You can’t change the world, but you do have the power to change yourself.
