Psychodynamic Perspective
- Are you plagued by re-occurring feelings of self-doubt, self-blame, guilt, anger, shame, sadness, or panic/anxiety?
- Do you have difficulty setting boundaries, saying "no," or asking for what you want?
- Do you feel alone and isolated often or as though no one cares about you?
- Do you frequently worry and stress about what others may think of you?
- Are you terrified of your thoughts and feelings, and can't find a way to control or soothe them?
- Are you struggling with fertility or family planning concerns and feeling overwhelmed, depressed, and hopeless?
- Are you struggling to feel heard or seen by your partner?
- Are traumatic or past memories and experiences holding you back?
- Are you finding it excessively difficult to let go of disappointing experiences?
- Are you frequently feeling as though you need to be on guard and have difficulty trusting others' intentions, but deeply long to feel cared for or loved by them?
- Does the fear of rejection, failure, or abandonment keep you from expressing yourself and your wants/needs, or asking for help?
- Are you finding yourself in the same type of relationships over and over again and unable to get resolution?
- Are you spending too much money, abusing substances or engaging in risky behaviors?
You are not alone in feeling this way. From a psychodynamic perspective, these ailments and patterns of behavior have underlying causes and are more than what appear on the outside. Most individuals struggle with some form of these ailments. Getting professional help for them from a psychodynamic or psychoanalytic approach can be effective, long-lasting, and highly beneficial.
In psychodynamic treatment, the therapist can help the individual bring to surface the underlying material that affect his or her current relationships and patterns of behavior. In turn, the individual can gain self-awareness and add to, reject, refine or correct further thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Improvement in the person’s personality structure and patterns of behavior takes place in the form of catharsis (an emotional release of underlying material,) insight (working through process,) and the relationship with the therapist, which allow for the assimilation of newly gained insights and experiences of the self into the personality. Eventually the individual's life, his or her behaviors, relationships, and sense of self can change in deep and abiding ways. Untreated, maladaptive patterns of behavior can be passed down from generation to generation.
Dr. Afshar was trained in the psychodynamic approach, has extensive experience with it, and enjoys utilizing it in her practice. She believes that early childhood experiences, temperament, and intrinsic fears can affect one's ability to form relationships, succeed, and thrive in life. Hence, she joins efforts with the individual to not only modify crippling life patterns and remove incapacitating symptoms, but also to expand the freedom to work and to love.
In addition to the psychodynamic approach, Dr. Afshar was trained in the cognitive-behavioral, sensorimotor, relational and interpersonal therapies and can utilize a combination of these approaches depending on the individual or family's needs and goals. As a result, she can work with the individual on long and short-term goals, symptom management, relaxation techniques, and other coping and communication/relational skills while also addressing underlying triggers, given that the individual wants to explore deeper layers.
Above all, Dr. Afshar strives to listen and to understand. She views her relationship with her patients as both a partnership and privilege. In turn, she believes the individual gains an ability to learn to listen to and understand him or herself in increasingly complex and useful ways.