Psychodynamic therapy is the psychological interpretation of mental and emotional processes and aims to address the foundation and formation of psychological processes. In this way, it seeks to reduce symptoms and improve people's lives. In psychodynamic therapy, therapists help people gain insight into their lives and present-day problems. They also evaluate patterns people develop over time. To do this, therapists review certain life factors with a person in therapy:

Emotions
Thoughts
Early-life experiences
Beliefs

Recognising recurring patterns can help people see how they avoid distress or develop defence mechanisms to cope. This insight may allow them to begin changing those patterns.

The therapeutic relationship is central to psychodynamic therapy. It can demonstrate how a person interacts with their friends and loved ones. In addition, transference in therapy can show how early-life relationships affect a person today. Transference is the transferring one's feelings for a parent, for example, onto the therapist. This intimate look at interpersonal relationships can help people understand their part in relationship patterns. It may empower them to transform that dynamic.

Psychodynamic therapy is available to individuals, couples, families, or groups. It can be used as short-term or long-term therapy. Brief psychodynamic therapy is goal-oriented and can take as many as 25 sessions. Long-term psychodynamic therapy may take two years or more. People tend to develop defence mechanisms. Defence mechanisms may keep painful feelings, memories, and experiences in the unconscious. A few common defence mechanisms include:

Denial
Repression
Rationalisation

Psychodynamic therapists encourage people to speak freely about their emotions, desires, and fears. Being open may help reveal vulnerable feelings that have been pushed out of conscious awareness. According to psychodynamic theory, behaviour is influenced by unconscious thought. Once vulnerable or painful feelings are processed, the defence mechanisms reduce or resolve.