Meaning & use
psychodynamic
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Describing approaches in psychology that explain behaviour by the interaction of hidden mental forces, such as childhood experiences and unconscious wishes.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: a psychodynamic therapist, not 'the therapist is psychodynamic' in normal use.
Patterns
- psychodynamic approach
- psychodynamic theory
She trained as a psychodynamic therapist and now works with adults who struggle with anxiety.
The psychodynamic view says that early family relationships shape later behaviour.
A psychodynamic reading of the novel focuses on the hero's buried fears.
Common combinations
- psychodynamic therapy
- Psychodynamic therapy often involves talking about childhood memories.
- psychodynamic approach
- The psychodynamic approach looks beneath the symptoms for deeper causes.
- psychodynamic theory
- Psychodynamic theory grew out of the work of Freud and his followers.
- psychodynamic perspective
- From a psychodynamic perspective, the dream expresses a hidden wish.
Synonyms and how they differ
- psychoanalytic
- Psychoanalytic is narrower and refers to Freud's own method, while psychodynamic covers later, more flexible developments of it.
Opposites
Word family
- psychodynamics noun
- the study of mental forces in action
- psychodynamically adverb
- in a psychodynamic way
- dynamic adjective
- relating to forces and change
- psychology noun
- the study of the mind
Commonly confused: psychodynamic or psychoanalytic?
psychodynamic vs psychoanalytic
Psychoanalytic describes Freud's classic method with long, frequent sessions; psychodynamic is the broader family of therapies drawn from it.
Practice
A therapist who explores a patient's unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences is using a ______ approach.
Choose one answer.
Psychodynamic approaches look at hidden mental forces. A behavioural approach would focus on observable habits instead.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “psychodynamic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.