Explore the Root of Your Emotions and Find Relief that Lasts

There are moments when a feeling hits, and you do not know why. Something in a relationship collapses or a pattern repeats itself, and you feel stuck. Psychodynamic therapy helps make sense of those moments by tracing them to their emotional origins. 

At Zeam Health & Wellness, we use psychodynamic psychotherapy to help you uncover what has been hidden and unresolved so that healing can begin at the root.

What Is Psychodynamic Therapy?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a talk-based treatment that explores unconscious thoughts, emotional conflicts, and early life experiences that influence your present-day behavior. It is grounded in psychodynamic theory, which understands that many of our struggles stem from inner conflicts we are only partly aware of.

While cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on changing thoughts and behaviors directly, psychodynamic therapy goes deeper. It asks: 

• Where did this pattern begin? 
• What emotional truths remain buried? 
• How can awareness shift everything?

Rooted in Freud’s early psychoanalytic model, psychodynamic therapy has evolved. Today, it is more collaborative, time-flexible, and grounded in relationship dynamics.

How Psychodynamic Therapy Works

At Zeam Health & Wellness, you meet one-on-one with a licensed therapist who specializes in psychodynamic theory. Sessions typically occur once or twice per week and last around 45 minutes. You are encouraged to speak freely about whatever surfaces, whether it is a current challenge, a memory, a dream, or even a moment of silence.

Our therapists listen closely, not just to what you say but to the emotional patterns beneath the surface. They help you connect past experiences with present struggles, uncover unconscious defenses, and recognize patterns in your relationships and reactions.

Techniques Often Used in Psychodynamic Therapy

• Free association: Speak freely and let thoughts unfold
• Dream analysis: Discuss the symbolism in your dreams
• Transference: Explore how your feelings about others show up in therapy
• Interpretation: Understand the underlying meanings of your behavior or reactions
• Insight building: Connect past with present for deeper self-awareness

What Can Psychodynamic Therapy Help With?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is ideal for challenges that are hard to explain but deeply felt. If you have a sense that “something is off” or that problems keep cycling back, psychodynamic therapy might be the key to real change.

Common conditions treated include:

• Depression, including long-term or recurring depression
• Anxiety, including social anxiety
• Personality disorders
• Eating disorders
• Relationship challenges
• Emotional numbness or inner emptiness
• Low self-worth
• Trauma and unresolved grief

What Makes Psychodynamic Therapy Different?

Unlike surface-level approaches, psychodynamic therapy reaches into the layers beneath symptoms. It addresses emotional blind spots and helps people make sense of how their past is still shaping their present.

A major strength of this approach is its long-term benefit. People who complete psychodynamic psychotherapy often continue improving even after therapy ends.

In fact, one meta-analysis reported an effect size of 0.97 for overall symptom improvement. This increased to 1.51 after nine months of post-treatment. By comparison, standard antidepressants show an average effect size of 0.31.

These outcomes suggest that psychodynamic therapy activates deeper psychological processes that continue working beyond the last session.

How Long Does Psychodynamic Therapy Take?

Unlike brief, protocol-based therapies, psychodynamic therapy adapts to your story. It can be short-term or long-term, depending on your needs and goals.

Short-Term Psychodynamic Therapy

• Typically 25 to 30 sessions
• Designed to target a specific emotional conflict
• Takes place over 6 to 8 months

Long-Term Psychodynamic Therapy

• Often 50+ sessions
• Spans a year or more
• Ideal for complex trauma, identity work, or long-standing emotional difficulties

Therapy length is not a reflection of progress. Deep change simply takes time, and your therapist will help pace it in a way that feels sustainable. At Zeam Health & Wellness, we help you make that decision with care and clarity.

Is Psychodynamic Therapy Effective?

Decades of research support its value, especially for those with complex emotional histories.

Evidence-Based Outcomes

• A review of 160 studies found that psychodynamic therapy significantly improved symptoms across a range of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
• Studies also show it is just as effective as CBT for many conditions.
• Patients often gain lasting improvements in self-esteem, relational health, and emotional resilience.
• People with a history of trauma or personality disorders often respond especially well.

In contrast to symptom-based methods, psychodynamic therapy reshapes how you relate to yourself and others.

Who Is a Good Fit for This Type of Therapy?

Psychodynamic therapy works best for people who are:

• Curious about their inner world
• Interested in exploring the “why” behind their emotions
• Open to reflecting on past experiences
• Struggling with long-standing or recurring emotional issues

You do not need a specific diagnosis. If you feel stuck, disconnected, or uncertain about yourself, this approach can help bring clarity and connection.

What to Expect in Your Sessions

You will not follow a workbook. You will not be given a checklist. What you will have is space.

Space to reflect. Space to say what you truly feel. Space to explore the parts of yourself that you usually hide.

With a trained therapist, those spaces become opportunities for growth. Together, you will build insight, uncover emotional patterns, and reshape how you relate to yourself and others.

Over time, many people feel more grounded, more open, and more able to make decisions that align with who they truly are.

Psychodynamic Therapy at Zeam Health & Wellness

At Zeam, our therapists are trained in both classical and contemporary psychodynamic approaches. Some also integrate techniques from other therapies, such as CBT or mindfulness, based on what each client needs.

We offer psychodynamic therapy in-person and via secure online sessions. Locations include Sacramento, Folsom, and Roseville.

Each treatment plan is customized, but the goal is the same: to help you move beyond patterns that no longer serve you and toward the life you want to live.

Start the Journey Toward Lasting Emotional Change

You deserve to understand what is really going on inside and to feel seen as you figure it out.

If you are ready to explore your inner world with the support of a caring, professional guide, psychodynamic psychotherapy may be the right next step.

Contact Zeam Health & Wellness today to schedule a consultation.