ISTDP

ISTDP is an evidence-based form of psychodynamic therapy that has shown to be effective in treating a wide range of difficulties, including anxiety, depression, personality disorders, somatic disorders, and in cases of medically unexplained symptoms. With a focus on the physical manifestation of emotional factors, along with the various patterns we can typically engage in to cope with adverse situations, the purpose behind ISTDP is to regulate and resolve emotional disturbances.

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Therapy, in all approaches, places importance on the personal narrative in which we view ourselves and the world around us. Where ISTDP stands apart from most other therapies is that it, in drawing from ideas of implicit memory, compliments the more deliberate side of our experience with factors that occur automatically without our choosing or even outside of our awareness altogether. So, with the belief in how influential these factors can be in our decision-making, some of the focus in ISTDP is bringing awareness to some of the ways in which these may lend to additional difficulties within adverse situations in order to exert more choice.

A typical session with ISTDP can be a rather active process but is also mostly non-directive, meaning that there is a limited structure to the course of each session. Together, you and your therapist may look into the emotional experiences that coincide with any physiological factors that may either represent or exacerbate your concerns, and together work towards establishing healthier emotional connections within yourself.