You may be thinking:
what issues can brief psychotherapy help?

Individuals who seek a short-term, focused, or brief psychotherapy want to address one or two specific issues.

This form of therapy is often referred to as “solution-based” or “time-limited” therapy. From the beginning, the individual can define the area(s) of concern and is seeking therapy to assist in clarifying goals and working toward solutions that can be attained in the immediate future.

In a short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy approach, the focus is typically toward identifying intense or uncomfortable feelings or thoughts that are aroused in personal or work relationships, in communications with others, or in other important areas of daily life.

The goals in a short-term psychodynamic therapy can be many.

For example, one goal may be to better understand the underlying and often conflicted feelings that overwhelm thoughts in relation to specific people so that the individual can have a sense of restored confidence and participation in the relationship.

Another goal may be to identify the specific anxieties that come up when faced with an important decision, determine ways to resolve the anxiety, and move forward.

Or there may be a relationship breakup and the individual is seeking someone to help them to sort out their emotions so they can move forward to new relationships.

In a very active form of this type of experiential therapy, the individual may be invited to demonstrate or reenact their role or communications in the troubling relationship situation. They can then receive feedback and practice more effective behaviors and communications in a safe environment.

For some situations, a cognitive approach may be a better fit to the issue. For example, an individual facing an immediate work crisis such as a job loss or company closure may want a therapist’s help to think through their options and come to decisions about their next steps.

Another example may be a student who wants to explore their ideas about a change in college major and would like an impartial other to listen and provide feedback.

Or an individual may feel stuck or may be procrastinating with a creative or work project. An “accountability partner” can assist them to stay on track to accomplish their goals. 

All of these, and many other concerns, may be the focus of a brief treatment.

The typical focus of brief psychotherapy is on a relatively immediate and attainable outcome or goal. That goal can be thought about in steps which can be accomplished in the foreseeable future, even if the steps may seem very complex or anxiety-producing.  

A guiding principle of a brief or short-term psychotherapy is that the therapist and the individual develop a detailed description of how the individual’s life will be changed once the goal is achieved.

In each session, the individual’s progress toward their goal since the previous session is reviewed, and the next accountability step is detailed. The focus in this approach is on the future and specific goal attainment.

Most brief therapies may last from as little as 3 or 4 sessions to about 20 sessions. In terms of calendar time, these would be goals that could be attained, with focus and effort, over a few weeks to a few months.

After reaching their goals in a brief psychotherapy, the individual may find that uncovering underlying dynamics leads to a choice to undergo a more intensive, longer-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy, to seek other services or supports for their concerns, or to involve important others in their lives in the treatment.

These are only some of many outcomes that may result from brief therapeutic work.  

If the decision is to transition to a longer-term, individual, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, I can do that, too. I will stay with you on that path if you choose.

And that is another beauty of the human mind, ever evolving, simple and complex, finding its way out of thought corners toward infinite possibilities.

Contact me today…Finding solutions IS possible.