Posted: December 3rd, 2022

Week 3: Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Introduction

Week 3: Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Introduction

Contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy, also referred to as psychoanalytic therapy, is rooted in Dr. Sigmund Freud’s proposal that unconscious thought processes, or thoughts and feelings outside of our conscious awareness, are responsible for mental health issues. This therapeutic approach is unique because its goal is to help clients achieve changes in personality and emotional development. Like most therapeutic approaches, however, psychodynamic psychotherapy is not appropriate for every client. In your role as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, you must be able to properly assess clients to determine whether this therapeutic approach would improve their clinical outcomes.

This week, as you explore psychodynamic psychotherapy, you examine the application of current literature to clinical practice.

Photo Credit: Laureate Education 

Learning Resources
Required Readings

American Nurses Association. (2014). Psychiatric-mental health nursing: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Standard 2 “Diagnosis” (pages 46-47)

Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Chapter 5, “Supportive and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy” (pp. 225–238 and pp. 245–258)

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Young, J. M., & Solomon, M. J. (2009). How to critically appraise an article. Nature Clinical Practice. Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 6(2), 82–91.

How to Critically Appraise an Article by Young, J.; Solomon, M., in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Vol. 6/Issue 2. Copyright 2009 by Nature Publishing Group. Reprinted by permission of Nature Publishing Group via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Select one of the following articles on psychodynamic therapy to evaluate in your Assignment:

Aznar-Martinez, B., Perez-Testor, C., Davins, M., & Aramburu, I. (2016). Couple psychoanalytic psychotherapy as the treatment of choice: Indications, challenges, and benefits. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 33(1), 1–20. doi:10.1037/a0038503

Karbelnig, A. M. (2016). “The analyst is present”: Viewing the psychoanalytic process as performance art. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 33(supplement 1), S153–S172. doi:10.1037/a0037332

LaMothe, R. (2015). A future project of psychoanalytic psychotherapy: Revisiting the debate between classical/commitment and analytic therapies. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 32(2), 334–351. doi:10.1037/a0035982 

Migone, P. (2013). Psychoanalysis on the Internet: A discussion of its theoretical implications for both online and offline therapeutic technique. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 30(2), 281–299. doi:10.1037/a0031507 

Tummala-Narra, P. (2013). Psychoanalytic applications in a diverse society. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 30(3), 471–487. doi:10.1037/a0031375

Note: You will access all of these articles from the Walden Library databases.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015c). The importance of a therapeutic relationship: Mary Boyle [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Provided courtesy of the Laureate International Network of Universities.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.

Credit: Provided courtesy of the Laureate International Network of Universities.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015b). Foundations of counseling techniques [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Provided courtesy of the Laureate International Network of Universities.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 32 minutes.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013b). Hernandez family genogram [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 3 minutes.

Optional Resources

Kernberg, O. (n.d.). Psychoanalytic psychotherapy [Video file]. Mill Valley, CA: Psychotherapy.net.

Assignment: Applying Current Literature to Clinical Practice

Literature in psychotherapy differs from other areas of clinical practice. Generally, there are no clinical trials in psychotherapy because it is often neither appropriate nor ethical to have controls in psychotherapy research. This sometimes makes it more difficult to translate research findings into practice. In your role, however, you must be able to synthesize current literature and apply it to your own clients. For this Assignment, you begin practicing this skill by examining current literature on psychodynamic therapy and considering how it might translate into your own clinical practice. The literature in psychotherapy is distinct from that in other areas of clinical practice. In general, there are no clinical trials in psychotherapy because having controls in psychotherapy research is often neither appropriate nor ethical. This can make it more difficult to put research findings into practice. However, you must be able to synthesize current literature and apply it to your own clients in your role. For this Assignment, you will begin to practice this skill by reviewing current literature on psychodynamic therapy and thinking about how it might apply to your own clinical practice.
Learning Objectives
Students will:

Evaluate the application of current literature to clinical practice

To prepare:

Review this week’s Learning Resources and reflect on the insights they provide.
Select one of the psychodynamic therapy articles from the Learning Resources to evaluate for this Assignment.

Note: In nursing practice, it is not uncommon to review current literature and share findings with your colleagues. Approach this Assignment as though you were presenting the information to your colleagues.

The Assignment

In a 5- to 10-slide PowerPoint presentation, address the following:

Provide an overview of the article you selected.
What population is under consideration?
What was the specific intervention that was used? Is this a new intervention or one that was already used?
What were the author’s claims?
Explain the findings/outcomes of the study in the article. Include whether this will translate into practice with your own clients. If so, how? If not, why?
Explain whether the limitations of the study might impact your ability to use the findings/outcomes presented in the article. Support your position with evidence-based literature.

Note: The presentation should be 5–10 slides, not including the title and reference slides. Include presenter notes (no more than ½ page per slide) and use tables and/or diagrams where appropriate. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from the article you selected. Support your approach with evidence-based literature
—
Sample Answrr:
Applying Current Literature to Clinical Practice
Psychodynamic, cognitive behavior theory, and pharmacotherapy are essential in treating mental disorders. A research by Steinert et al. (2017) proposes that psychodynamic is efficacious. Randomized clinical trials suggest that therapists can utilize psychodynamic to address various mental problems. The article was carried out through an assessment of 23 randomized control trials and 2,751 adult participants. The findings of the study suggest that psychodynamic is as efficacious as other empirically supported treatments. It debunks beliefs that psychodynamic is not an effective approach. Therefore, the article suggests that psychodynamic is effective in treating mood disorders among clients of all ages.
The study utilized interpretive and supportive interventions. The interventions have been used in other research studies. Researchers also highlight that the interventions are effective in randomized control trials. The interventions are also effective since they help researchers to gather and analyze data. The data analysis process is effective in ensuring the findings will support the objectives of the study. The interventions of the research are effective in ensuring that the quality of research will be top notch. Steinert et al. (2017) thus successfully utilizes the interventions to generate quality results that corroborate with other research studies.
The author shows that psychodynamic is as efficacious as other empirically supported treatments. However, the author accepts that little research is available in the field. Therefore, Steinert et al. (2017) suggests that that further study should be carried out to determine who benefits most from the treatments. The findings of the study indicate that psychodynamic is effective in addressing mood disorders. However, the author’s claims are limited since they are based on few previous studies. Steinert et al. (2017) notes that the rates of remission and response to treatment are not satisfactory. A further study is necessary due to the limited articles available on the topic. The future studies should help answer questions on the level of efficacy of psychodynamic.
Translation to practice is the epitome of every research study. The findings indicate that psychodynamic is as efficacious as other empirically supported treatments. Therapists can thus utilize the approach to treat different mood disorders. Therapists should transfer the knowledge into practice since psychodynamic is effective as CBT. Psychodynamic will be effective in establishing patterns of negative emotions and thoughts. It is thus easier to alter the behavior of people upon changing the thinking patterns. Psychodynamic is also an effective approach since it uncovers unconscious processes that undermine positive behavior. The translation will also improve when future research studies are complete.
The findings show that psychodynamic is as efficacious as other empirically supported treatments. The findings are effective in debunking previous beliefs that psychodynamic was not an effective approach. However, although the author suggest the positive outcomes, the conclusion shows that further studies should be carried out. The findings are applicable with various clients in psychotherapy across all age brackets. It will involve treating various mental and mood disorders. Psychodynamic is thus effective in increasing self-esteem and create satisfying relationships. It is also effective in boosting the confidence to face difficult life issues or making critical life transitions.
The study by Steinert et al. (2017) has various limitations, although they do not undermine the outcomes. One of the limitations is that the study is based on few previous research studies. The author did not find sufficient randomized control trials to support the arguments and conclusions. Therefore, one of the suggestions is that further research is required. Another limitation is that limited access to data may limit the translation of the data into practice. The limitation may also undermine application of the findings across various issues. The limitations may blur the efforts or findings of the research and hinder translation into practice.
References
Steinert, C., Munder, T., Rabung, S., Hoyer, J., & Leichsenring, F. (2017). Psychodynamic therapy: as efficacious as other empirically supported treatments? A meta-analysis testing equivalence of outcomes. American Journal of Psychiatry, 174(10), 943-953.

Order | Check Discount

Tags: Week 3: Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Introduction