Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) was developed by Dr Habib Davanloo of McGill University in Canada. It is an actively researched psychotherapy with large evidence base of effectiveness for common and complex psychological problems. Due to it’s focus on the mind and body connection, it is particularly well placed in treating physical health problems associated with underlying psychological and emotional difficulties. There are a number of terms used to describe this phenomena. The main ones include: medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), functional disorders, dissociative disorders, and psychophysiologic disorders.

The basic premise of ISTDP is that we develop psychological problems when we are unable to experience or express our true emotions. This is thought to be a learnt response whereby our previous experiences have taught us to bury our emotions in order to keep us safe from some of threat. This tends to range from social disapproval to forms of harm, humiliation or abandonment. In order to keep our emotions in check our body learns to perceive them as a threat causing anxiety to emerge when they are activated. In turn, our anxiety fuels defensive reactions to reduce or avoid the triggering of emotions. Such processes tend to be unconscious with unseen levels of anxiety and defensiveness causing physical health problems, and destructive behavioral patterns that ruin our relationships and cripple our ability to thrive and reach our potential.

The treatment process is individually tailored and aims to illuminate and overcome destructive defences, build anxiety tolerance, and release blocked emotional channels. When these feelings are felt, anxiety, physical symptoms and defences decrease, as the body learns that accept these emotions as a normal bodily experience.

More descriptions of ISTDP can be found by visiting:

Reaching Through Resistance

Psychgarden

The words ‘short-term’ refer to the way ISTDP aims to use the most efficient and effects means of treatment to ensure beneficial change as soon and as quickly as possible. Whilst this may mean that therapy could well be short-term in terms of time, it is not necessarily the case. The severity of symptoms and our personal differences mean that there is no set way or number of sessions that can prescribed to reach a goal that will also differ from individual to individual. Rapid change and relief is possible. It can also cause more harm than good to push for rapid change if the correct preparations have not occurred. This is particularly the case for severe levels of anxiety, as it is vital to build up the capacity to tolerate anxiety within the correct bodily channels before attempting to fully process emotionally laden material.

A psychological formulation is essentially the process of creating a map of your difficulties using psychological principles. This is typically formed within the framework of a particular model. For example, a basic cognitive behavioural formulation tends to identify how an external event triggers a series of negative thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

We will build a formulation using the principles most relevant to you and your difficulties. This can be as simple or complex as your needs require.

It is important to know that whilst the principles governing the formulation tend to be fairly robust, the content of the formulation tends to fluctuate, as the shape of your difficulties, understanding, and ability to choose alternative ways of being change.