Psychodynamic Therapy in Chicago

At Fermata Psychotherapy, we primarily use a psychodynamic lens to understand and work with our clients and the psychological, emotional, and relational challenges they bring to therapy. Connected to the long tradition of psychoanalysis, psychodynamic perspectives are both a way to think about and practice psychotherapy, and a way to understand human nature and its relationship with our developmental, family, social, and historical context.

What does this mean?

At its core, this means that we believe that the experiences, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that bring people to therapy have meaning. Our experiences of anxiety or depression, our difficulties in relationships, our struggles with self-esteem - they are not “wrong” or “irrational,” but part of what makes us human, They can be meaningful vestiges from our past or valid attempts to cope with realities that are difficult to handle. This meaning is oftentimes unconscious, kept out of our awareness for different reasons. It can be rooted in old and deep traumas, internal conflicts, overwhelming losses, or unbearable wishes.

Psychodynamic therapy pays close attention to our earlier attachments and relationships. The importance of these experiences cannot be overstated in the development of who we become. Did we feel the world around us was secure, attuned, and responsive to our needs? What did we learn about what it took for our needs to be met, for us to feel we were heard and seen? These experiences impact the way our personality is organized, how we relate to others, and how we feel about ourselves. This, in turn, will impact how we deal with life challenges in the present. Our past is never fully in the past but always an intrinsic part of who we are; we might find ourselves repeating old patterns or emotions that seem eerily familiar.

Gaining awareness and insight are central parts of the process of psychodynamic therapy, but this approach is not focused on intellectual understanding. Psychodynamic therapy recognizes and appreciates the depth of our feelings and emotions, the complexity of our inner world. A crucial component of the process often includes developing the ability to experience those feelings in the work with a psychodynamic therapist. We believe it is also very important to understand our experiences in the context beyond our immediate family, including other relationships, our family history, our community, and our culture.

How does psychodynamic therapy work?

Therapy is a process of growing our awareness, understanding, and acceptance of meaning; of recognizing, as if with new eyes, what we thought we knew; of being able to think about what felt unthinkable; of making sense of our present in light of our past, so that we can live a future that feels more authentic and fulfilling. Therapy is not only about getting intellectual understanding or learning tools or skills but about processing emotions and feelings that have not found ways to be expressed. Therapy is, above all, an experience.

Because our shared humanity is front and center, psychodynamic therapy does not rely on predefined protocols, manuals, or scripts. The focus is not on a “condition” or “diagnosis,” but on you as a whole, unique, and complex human being. Our approach is not guided by defining “what you have,” but by understanding who you are and how you came to be. Through this deep understanding and recognition, new possibilities and a renewed sense of agency can emerge.

Each treatment is different because each person is different. Therapy is a space where uncomfortable feelings can be shared, where all parts of you are welcomed. For this to happen, you and your therapist will, together, work towards create an environment that is non-judgmental, empathic, consistent, and safe. As trust develops, new layers of meaning can be found and new emotions experienced, leading to change and transformation from within.