What is ISTDP?
ISTDP stands for Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy. It’s a form of psychotherapy developed by Dr. Habib Davanloo in the 1960s and 70s and developed by Dr David Malan and others in the UK. It is an evidence-based therapy with a dynamic international research and practitioner community. ISTDP is designed to help people rapidly access and resolve unconscious emotional conflicts that contribute to psychological symptoms.
Key Features of ISTDP:
Emotion-focused: It emphasises the importance of experiencing and processing deep emotions, especially those that have been repressed or avoided.
Short-term and intensive: Sessions can be longer than traditional therapy, and the therapy is designed to achieve results more quickly.
Dynamic: It is based upon psychoanalytic principles, focusing on unconscious processes, defence mechanisms, and attachment patterns.
Active and direct: The therapist is often more active than in other modalities, helping the patient break through defences and access core feelings.
Somatic awareness: ISTDP pays close attention to bodily responses and physical symptoms as clues to emotional states and defences.
Goals of ISTDP:
To help patients overcome internal resistance to feeling and expressing emotions.
To resolve unconscious conflicts that contribute to anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and psychosomatic symptoms.
To promote lasting psychological change by accessing and integrating previously avoided emotional experiences.
Who It’s For:
ISTDP can be effective for people with:
Depression or anxiety
Medically unexplained physical symptoms
Personality disorders
Trauma-related issues
Relationship difficulties