Reviewed by Vinsent Franke, MBA, AMFT, CADC-II, RA, Founder of iRely Recovery. Updated September 2026.
Intro
Psychodynamic therapy is a depth-oriented approach that explores how unconscious emotions, past experiences and relational patterns shape your current thoughts and behaviors. Rather than only changing present habits, it seeks to understand what is driving them.
At iRely Recovery in Los Angeles, psychodynamic therapy is delivered by licensed clinicians and integrated into a broader addiction treatment model, working alongside medical management, group therapy and family support.
Key Points
- Explores unconscious patternsInsight into how the past shapes present thoughts and behavior, not just symptom management.
- A blue-ocean fit for addictionIt addresses the emotional and relational roots that symptom-focused therapy alone can miss.
- Backed by researchA 2015 study by Fonagy and colleagues found lasting reductions in psychiatric symptoms.
- Integrated at iRelyCombined with medical management, group and family therapy. Call 818-869-2112.
In Short
Psychodynamic therapy at iRely Recovery explores the unconscious emotional and relational patterns behind addiction, using free association, transference and insight-oriented work. It is delivered by licensed clinicians and integrated with medical management, group and family therapy. Call 818-869-2112 to learn more.
What Is Psychodynamic Therapy?
Psychodynamic therapy is a depth-oriented approach that explores how unconscious emotions, past experiences and relational patterns shape your current thoughts and behaviors. Unlike therapies focused on changing present habits, it seeks to understand the roots of emotional distress, and over time that self-understanding creates lasting change rather than symptom management alone.
The approach traces back to Freud’s early work on the unconscious mind, and has since grown through object relations theory, which looks at how early relationships shape the way you relate to others, and self psychology, which focuses on how a stable sense of self develops. At iRely Recovery, our clinicians draw on these traditions without the jargon, translating them into practical, person-centered work.
How Psychodynamic Therapy Works
Psychodynamic therapy uses a set of core techniques to bring unconscious patterns into conscious awareness, where they can be understood and changed.
Free Association
You speak openly about whatever comes to mind, without censoring yourself, so patterns and connections can surface that structured conversation might miss.
Exploring Transference
Your therapist pays attention to how you relate to them in the room, since it often mirrors patterns from other important relationships in your life.
Interpreting Defenses
Together you identify the ways you protect yourself from difficult feelings, such as avoidance or rationalization, and what they are protecting you from.
Working With Dreams and Imagery
Some clients find dreams and imagery useful material for exploring feelings that are harder to access directly, though this is optional and tailored to you.
Psychodynamic Therapy for Addiction Recovery
Addiction is often driven by unresolved emotional pain, relational trauma or unconscious attempts at self-regulation, precisely the patterns psychodynamic therapy is designed to address. Where symptom-focused approaches target the substance use itself, psychodynamic work looks at what the substance use has been doing for you emotionally.
A 2015 study by Fonagy and colleagues, published in World Psychiatry and available through the National Institutes of Health’s PMC database, found that long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy produced significant and lasting reductions in psychiatric symptoms. Addiction frequently co-occurs with the kinds of complex trauma and relational difficulties this research addresses, which is part of why psychodynamic work is a meaningful complement to standard addiction treatment. Research by Falk Leichsenring and colleagues has similarly supported the durability of psychodynamic therapy’s benefits over time.
At iRely Recovery, psychodynamic therapy is integrated into a broader addiction treatment model, working alongside medical management, group therapy and family support rather than replacing them.
Who Benefits From Psychodynamic Therapy?
Psychodynamic therapy is particularly effective for people who:
- Have complex trauma histories underlying their substance use
- Experience chronic, repeating difficulties in relationships
- Have addiction patterns with identifiable emotional triggers
- Have tried other therapies but found symptoms returning
- Want to understand the roots of their patterns, not only manage them
Psychodynamic therapy is not the right starting point for everyone. If you need focused, short-term help managing acute symptoms or a specific phobia, an approach like CBT may serve you better in that moment. At iRely, we assess each person’s needs and recommend the modality that fits, and often combine both.
Psychodynamic Therapy vs. CBT: What Is the Difference?
Both are evidence-based, and they answer different questions.
| Dimension | Psychodynamic Therapy | CBT |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Unconscious roots of thoughts and behavior | Present thoughts and behaviors |
| Duration | Longer-term, exploratory work | Structured, often short-term |
| Approach | Exploratory and insight-oriented | Directive, with specific skills and exercises |
| Best For | Complex trauma and relational patterns behind addiction | Acute symptom management and specific phobias |
CBT is directive, and psychodynamic therapy is exploratory. For addiction with deep emotional or trauma roots, psychodynamic work often addresses what CBT alone leaves untouched.
What to Expect in Psychodynamic Therapy at iRely Recovery
Psychodynamic therapy sessions at iRely are conducted by licensed clinicians trained in depth-oriented approaches. Your intake includes an assessment of your history and goals, and your therapist will discuss a realistic timeline with you based on what you are working through.
Sessions typically run 50 minutes and may include free exploration of thoughts and feelings, examination of recurring relationship patterns, and guided insight into how past experiences shape present struggles with addiction. Brief psychodynamic therapy can produce meaningful gains in a matter of months, while deeper patterns, especially in addiction recovery, often benefit from longer engagement of six months or more.
Psychodynamic therapy at iRely is trauma-informed and integrated with medication management, group therapy and family sessions where clinically appropriate. If you are ready to explore what is driving your addiction, our team is here to help.
Insurance Accepted for Psychodynamic Therapy in Los Angeles
Most major insurance plans cover psychodynamic therapy when it is delivered as part of a licensed behavioral health or addiction treatment program.
Call 818-869-2112 and our admissions team will verify your specific benefits before your first appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Psychodynamic Therapy
What is psychodynamic therapy?
Psychodynamic therapy is a depth-oriented approach that explores how unconscious emotions, past experiences and relational patterns shape your current thoughts and behaviors. Rather than focusing only on changing present habits, it seeks to understand the roots of emotional distress, creating lasting change rather than symptom management alone.
How is psychodynamic therapy different from CBT?
CBT targets specific thoughts and behaviors in the present, typically over a defined, shorter course. Psychodynamic therapy takes a longer view, exploring the emotional and relational roots of recurring patterns. CBT is directive, and psychodynamic therapy is exploratory, and both are evidence-based.
Who is a good candidate for psychodynamic therapy?
It is particularly effective for people with complex trauma histories, chronic relationship difficulties or addiction patterns with identifiable emotional triggers. If you have tried other therapies but found symptoms returning, psychodynamic therapy may address the underlying drivers rather than surface behaviors.
How long does psychodynamic therapy take?
Duration varies by individual. Brief psychodynamic therapy can produce meaningful gains over a period of months. For deeper patterns, especially in addiction recovery, longer engagement of six months to a year or more often yields more lasting results. Your therapist will discuss a realistic timeline during intake.
Can psychodynamic therapy help with addiction?
Research on psychodynamic therapy, including a 2015 study by Fonagy and colleagues, has found significant and lasting reductions in psychiatric symptoms. Addiction is often driven by unresolved emotional pain, relational trauma or unconscious self-regulation attempts, precisely the patterns psychodynamic therapy is designed to address.
What does a psychodynamic therapy session look like at iRely?
Sessions are conducted by licensed clinicians trained in depth-oriented approaches and typically run 50 minutes. They may include free exploration of thoughts and feelings, examination of recurring relationship patterns, and guided insight into how past experiences shape present struggles with addiction, integrated with medical management, group therapy and family support as appropriate.
Sources
[1] Fonagy, P., Rost, F., Carlyle, J. A., et al. (2015). Pragmatic randomized controlled trial of long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression. World Psychiatry, 14(3), 312 to 321. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4558398/
Other citation: Leichsenring, F., and colleagues have published multiple meta-analyses supporting the durability of psychodynamic therapy outcomes over time.
Explore What Is Driving Your Addiction
If you are ready to understand what is beneath your substance use, not just manage its symptoms, our team is here to help. Call 818-869-2112 or start the admissions process to speak with our clinical team.
