ISTDP
Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy
Love and connection are at the heart of ISTDP because it helps us to break down the walls that prevent us from giving and receiving emotional intimacy. Our capacity for connection, both with ourselves and with others, can be restored through accessing and processing our deepest feelings.
What is ISTDP?
ISTDP is an accelerated form of psychodynamic therapy integrating attachment theory and neuroscience to resolve a range of emotional difficulties. anxiety disorders, depression, difficulties in relationships and identity formation, as well as prolonged grief, developmental trauma and psychosomatic illnesses. Addressing the root cause can lead to long-lasting improvements in emotional regulation, self-esteem, and relationships.
Central to ISTDP is the idea that unresolved emotional wounds from early childhood, particularly those related to disrupted or insecure attachments with primary caregivers, are at the root of many psychological difficulties. A strong, secure, and collaborative therapeutic relationship provides a new attachment experience where the therapist's attuned and non-judgmental approach can help repair internal working models of attachment.
It is an experiential and structured therapy that promotes deep emotional experience by identifying and clarifying unhealthy behaviours while developing healthy regulation of anxiety, so that emotions can be fully felt and safely expressed. This can lead to symptom, healing, growth and long-lasting change.
How does ISTDP work?
In the initial phase, the therapist assesses the client's symptoms and unconscious defences. Specific interventions are used to invite and encourage the client to identify the feelings underlying their presenting problems. During this phase, the client and therapist develop a collaborative working alliance based on trust and safety.
As core emotions begin to emerge, the client's habitual defences or unhealthy behaviours, as well as anxiety will also increase. The therapist actively interrupts these defences, while encouraging the client to choose an alternative and healthier behaviour. The therapist also provides the client with tools to recognise and regulate their anxiety rather than suppressing it.
Once the client has chosen healthier behaviours and their anxiety is regulated, they will be able to experience their previously repressed emotions fully and deeply, often at an intense, physical level. This is a crucial step in resolving the underlying conflicts and emotional wounds driven by their attachment trauma.
Emotional processing helps the client to gain new insights and integrate their emotional experiences. The resolution of these internal conflicts leads to a reduction in symptoms and lasting character change.