Instructor: Julia Rydin, LICSW

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is an empirically validated form of treatment that produces lasting change via a collaborative effort between client and therapist. Psychodynamic therapy is a highly developed model that not only recognizes external and visible symptomatic manifestations of one’s struggles but also the often unconscious forces behind various behavioral and interpersonal patterns. Originally derived from Freud’s psychoanalysis, the psychodynamic model offers a contemporary perspective resulting from decades of subsequent growth and development with theoretical and clinical contributions from ego psychology, object relations, self-psychology, attachment theory, and relational theory. This course will review some fundamental assumptions of the psychodynamic approach, familiarize participants with the work of a few of the key contributors, and apply theory to clinical situations that arise in a variety of social work settings. (6 CEUs)