There are many orientations when it comes to psychotherapy. The psychotherapist’s approach to therapy depends on several factors to include the counsellor’s personality, the main orientation and training of the university attended and any specialization in their professional development over their time of practice.  As psychology has matured, the number of orientations has increased but here we will articulate regarding two commonly identified psychotherapeutic approaches: psychodynamics and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Psychodynamics was originated by Sigmund Freud, father of modern psychology and further developed by Carl Jung and Alfred Adler. The primary focus is to reveal the unconscious content of a client’s psyche in an effort to alleviate psychic tension. It is usually a long-term approach to therapy, processing and identifying how maladaptive and unconscious conflicts originating in childhood experiences lead to current psychopathological behavior and thoughts. Major techniques used by psychodynamic therapists include free association, recognizing resistance and transference, working through painful memories and difficult issues, catharsis, and building a strong therapeutic alliance.

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