The most recent edition of Scientific American features ‘the strongest evidence yet that psychodynamic psychotherapy - “talk therapy” - works. In fact, it not only works, it keeps working long after the sessions stop.’
It reports on a paper in the latest edition of the APA journal American Psychologist which has analysed the results of randomly controlled trials of psychodynamic psychotherapy treatments for a wide range of psychological disorders, and which concludes that positive change and patient growth continue to develop beyond therapy termination. The findings suggest that psychodynamic psychotherapy provides patients with the tools to continue to function better in the world, feel better about themselves, reduce psychiatric symptoms and face life’s challenges with greater flexibility and freedom well beyond the end of their sessions.
The paper's author, Jonathan Shedler, found that RCTs 'support the efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy for depression, anxiety, panic disorder...eating disorders, substance disorders and personality disorders.'
Read the Scientific American article here