Charles Campbell-Jones
Psychotherapy in South London
What is Psychodynamic Psychotherapy?
Psychodynamic psychotherapy is an open-ended, collaborative exchange that addresses longstanding difficulties around thoughts, feelings and/or actions. “Psychodynamic” reflects the presumption that the mind has an unconscious life of its own. None of us entirely self-aware – nor would we necessarily want to be – but if one’s unconscious is overly conflicted or fragmented, then this can lead to difficulties that are painfully experienced but otherwise hard to explain or seemingly disproportionate. So, psychodynamic psychotherapy seeks understanding and coherence in place of confusion and chaos.
I align with the tradition of psychoanalysis and more specifically modern object relations theory. Therefore, I see my primary role as two-fold: to try to understand how your mind works with a view to helping you restore a sense of agency; to contain and help process intense feelings as they inevitably emerge in therapy. I do not see my role as “curing” you through warmth, reassurance or advice – all are potentially valuable, but I am no better qualified to offer them than anyone else.
Another implication of my training is that I will pay attention to the “here and now” of the therapeutic encounter, as both a source of information and a vehicle for change. It is likely that certain longstanding relational patterns will play out between us, and I think noticing and working with these is essential to making therapy more than a merely intellectual exercise
What can psychotherapy help with?
Psychotherapy can help if you find yourself struggling to cope with any of the following states over a prolonged period:
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Anxious or stressed
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Depressed, including feeling empty or unfulfilled
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Emotionally volatile
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Unsure of who you are
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Lonely
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Frequently in conflict with other people
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Troubled by intrusive thoughts or memories
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Repeatedly drawn to unsatisfying and perhaps self-destructive behaviours
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Physically afflicted without apparent medical explanation
What to expect
The first session lasts for 50 minutes and is more like a consultation. It is a chance for me to learn more about you, and for you to decide whether to continue with me as your therapist. I will encourage you to talk about what has led you to seek therapy and what you hope to achieve from it. I will also ask some questions to help me get a better picture of your life, including relationships past and present. Equally, you should feel free to ask me any questions about therapy that come to mind.
There is no obligation to continue with therapy after the first session, and it may be preferable for us to meet for another consultation before committing to a regular time together.
Does talking with a therapist work?
There is a growing body of evidence showing that psychotherapy is an effective treatment for psychological distress. (See: The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy by Jonathan Shedler, PhD.)
That said, therapy is different to medicine which can be taken passively yet still have an effect. Therapy requires significant investment on the part of the patient – after all, defences that have taken years to develop cannot be transformed overnight. The average may not be the individual, but studies indicate that meaningful change starts to accrue from around the six-month mark.
Finally, regardless of the modality, evidence indicates that the foundation of any successful therapy is a solid working alliance between patient and therapist. This is not quite the same thing as finding a therapist you really like or feel completely in tune with; more, I would say it’s a feeling that you’ll basically “get along” even if the going gets tough.
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