There are many types of psychotherapies ("talking therapies"). At one extreme, some focus entirely on what we do and not what we feel - for example, behavioral therapy. Other therapies focus on what and how we think - for example, cognitive therapy. By contrast, psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses on how we feel and how our mind works. Although we sometimes jokingly claim to have analysed our friends, we know that we can do nothing of the sort.

Psychodynamic therapy (or Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy as it is sometimes called) is a general name for therapeutic approaches which try to get the patient to bring to the surface their true feelings, so that they can experience them and understand them.

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy uses the basic assumption that everyone has an unconscious mind (this is sometimes called the subconscious), and that feelings held in the unconscious mind are often too painful to be faced. Thus we come up with de fences to protect us knowing about these painful feelings. An example of one of these defenses is called denial - which you may have already come across.

Psychodynamic therapy assumes that these defenses have gone wrong and are causing more harm than good, that is why you have needed to seek help. It tries to unravel them, as once again, it is assumed that once you are aware of what is really going on in your mind the feelings will not be as painful.