PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH TO COUNSELING

The psychodynamic approach to counseling represents one of the major traditions within contemporary
counseling and psychotherapy. Psychodynamic counseling places great emphasis on the counselor’s ability to
use what happens in the immediate, unfolding relationship between client and counselor to explore the types
of feelings and relationship dilemmas that have caused difficulties for the client in his or her everyday life.

The aim of psychodynamic counseling is to help clients to achieve insight and understanding around the reasons for their problems, and translate this insight into a mature capacity to cope with any future difficulties. To enable
this process to take place, the counselor needs to be able to offer the client an environment that is sufficiently
secure and consistent to permit the safe expression of painful or shameful fantasies and impulses.