Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy
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What is Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy?
Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) is an emotion-focused, attachment-based psychodynamic treatment model designed to help patients overcome internal resistance to experiencing previously repressed feelings. It is particularly effective with patients who suffer from treatment-resistant anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms, and personality disorders. Founded by Dr. Habib Davanloo, it emphasizes the importance of the therapist being active, focused, and emotionally attuned, while inviting- but not forcing- the patient to confront defenses and experience avoided feelings. You may have heard of Exposure Therapy for phobias, where if, for example, a patient is scared of dogs, in a carefully controlled and safe environment, the patient is invited to experience imagined scenarios involving dogs, look at images of dogs, or eventually, interact with actual dogs. The idea is that by giving the patient the choice to see how their fear is holding them back, and the control whether they choose to overcome this fear, while still keeping the experience controlled and safe, this will help build their tolerance for their anxiety until it is no longer controlling them. ISTDP is very similar, in that the therapist is inviting the patient to be curious about and empowered to explore the thoughts, feelings and past experiences that have taught them to think and act in certain ways, in a safe environment where someone can help if they feel unsafe or afraid of what they might find.
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What Makes ISTDP Different From Other Styles?
In short, ISTDP isn't just about the therapist's training and expertise: it is about empowering the patient to see that they had the ability and capacity to live a healthy life inside them all along, but somewhere along the way in their life, something taught them they weren't allowed to use the tools that would have let them do that. The ISTDP therapist's job is to gauge how ready the patient is to try these different tools, then help them learn how to put their old tools down and try something new, in a safe environment where they are shown compassion, care and precision.
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