In Brief

Psychodynamic therapy passes a test

A meta-analysis of 17 trials conducted over a period of 35 years suggests that short-term psychodynamic therapy is an effective treatment for a variety of psychiatric disorders.

Dynamic therapists concentrate on emotional conflicts and identify patterns in the patient's feelings and behavior, often with special attention to wishes, dreams, and fantasies. They emphasize the patient's relationship with the therapist, especially as it involves feelings transferred from earlier relationships and childhood experience in particular.