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Psychodynamic Therapy Explained: Benefits of Psychodynamic Therapy for Teens

Hayley Snelling
September 29, 2025
Authored by: Hayley Snelling, B.S. Psychology
Edited by: Emma Loker, B.S.
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If your teen is struggling emotionally, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and unsure how to help them. Whether they are acting out, withdrawing, or living with a mental health condition, it’s reasonable to want answers and long-term healing – not just quick fixes. 

 

Psychodynamic therapy for teens offers a helpful approach to discover the underlying emotional patterns driving your teen’s behavior. Rather than just focusing on symptoms, the psychodynamic therapy teens receive can help them develop a deeper insight into what’s going on underneath, which can help build their self-awareness and emotional resilience. 

 

If you are searching for options to support a teen’s mental health, psychodynamic therapy could be the way forward. In this article, you’ll learn:

 

  • What psychodynamic therapy is
  • Why it’s a good fit for adolescents
  • Benefits of psychodynamic therapy for teens
  • How psychodynamic therapy works
  • Signs this therapeutic approach may be right for your teen
  • Where to find psychodynamic therapists
boy sitting with his knees to his chest outside in need of psychodynamic therapy for teens

What Is Psychodynamic Therapy for Teens?

Adolescence is often a time of enormous change – both physically and emotionally. It’s also a period of identity exploration and testing relationships. Throughout these changes, many teenagers may struggle to make sense of their feelings. That’s where psychodynamic therapy can come in. 

Psychodynamic therapy can help adolescents explore their unconscious mind, which may hold unresolved emotions, internal conflicts, and patterns that contribute to their distress by  influencing their current behavior. It doesn’t just focus on surface-level symptoms; it explores the patterns formed during early life experiences and relationships. This can help people understand why they feel and behave the way they do. It is thought that with this insight, and by bringing a person’s inner struggles to light, they’ll have fewer unhealthy thoughts and coping strategies.1,2

Psychodynamic therapy tends to be a long-term approach. It typically consists of ~16 sessions, or is open-ended, meaning the therapy continues until both the therapist and teen feel the sessions are ready to end. However, it is possible to receive short-term psychodynamic therapy (of around 6-10) sessions.

Why Psychodynamic Therapy Is a Good Fit for Teens 

At this age, teenagers are beginning to form their identities and find their place in the world. During this stage of development, teens may struggle with intense emotions they don’t understand or feel unable to express. It can be a period of confusion, insecurity, and internal conflict.

1. Improves a Teen’s Self-Awareness

As psychodynamic therapy encourages teens to understand their innermost beliefs and conflicts, it helps them understand why they think, feel, and act in certain ways. As a result, teens develop a deep self-awareness, which research suggests is linked with:3,14

  • Higher self-confidence
  • Creativity
  • Healthy decision-making
  • Stronger relationships
  • More effective communication
  • Good leadership skills

2. Teens Learn What a Trusting, Healthy Relationship Looks Like

Secondly, the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the teen allows trust to grow over time. For teens who haven’t experienced many healthy, trusting relationships before, this becomes invaluable. Research shows that a strong therapeutic alliance can benefit teens in the following ways:15

  • Creates a sense of safety, choice, and autonomy:     As young people feel valued in the relationship, they feel safer, which makes them better able to make choices and be themselves. This is true both in the therapy room and outside of it. 
  • Facilitates therapeutic change: A strong therapist-client relationship makes therapy more effective. Teens gain a better insight into themselves and how to make healthy changes in their lives. 
  • Improves their self-worth: Any healthy, trusting relationship increases a person’s sense of self-worth, and this includes the therapeutic alliance. 

So, we can see that psychodynamic therapy can have some powerful benefits for teens. Another one we haven’t yet mentioned is relating to their mental health. The teenage years can be a time when mental health conditions first show themselves. The next section explores the effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy in treating these conditions. 

Together, each of these potential causes of SSD highlights how it could result from a mix of factors. However, recognizing these influences can help families respond with greater understanding and compassion.

Common Conditions Psychodynamic Therapy Can Help With

With approximately half of all lifetime mental health disorders beginning in childhood or adolescence, many teens enter therapy not only for personal exploration but to help manage a health condition.4

Psychodynamic therapy for teens is an evidence-based psychotherapy, meaning it has been researched and studied and found to be effective for various mental health conditions. Research shows that it can improve symptoms of:5-11 
Furthermore, research confirms that psychodynamic therapy is a suitable and effective therapy model for treating children and adolescents.11,12

So, if your teen is experiencing one of these mental health challenges, psychodynamic therapy may be appropriate, especially if they are looking to understand themselves better. But what is actually involved in psychodynamic therapy? And what does a typical psychodynamic counseling youth session look like? Let’s explore this next in more depth.

How Adolescent Psychodynamic Therapy Works

When considering starting therapy, it may be useful to know some basic practicalities about the specific approach. For instance, how often therapy occurs, how long it takes, what a session may involve, and any particular interventions that may be used. These aspects of psychodynamic therapy for teens shall be covered in the following sections:

Session Frequency and Length

The professional psychodynamic therapy adolescents receive often takes place once or twice a week. These sessions typically last between 45 and 60 minutes, although this can vary between therapists and therapy centers. 

Your teen will see the same therapist for every session, and therapy can continue over the course of months or even over a year. As mentioned, psychodynamic therapy is often a long-term process, taking a year or more, due to the deep exploration of emotional conflicts and early life experiences. However, short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy is also an option. In this brief therapy, the goal is often to provide short-term interventions and support to help start the process of change.13

What Happens During Sessions?

Therapy sessions with a psychodynamic approach can feel free-flowing. Teens are often encouraged to speak freely about anything that comes to mind. This may include challenges they face, concerns, memories, fears, wants, desires, dreams, or fantasies. This brings deeper, unconscious themes to the forefront, which a teen can then explore with their therapist. 

There is also a focus on recognizing and understanding negative or repressed emotions. By acknowledging their presence, it’s possible to express these emotions and overcome the effects they currently have on your teen. Additionally, by recognizing patterns in behaviors or relationships, they can choose to make different decisions or find new approaches to coping with issues. This can then impact future decision-making, behaviors, and relationships, allowing them to learn how to make positive changes in their life. 

Furthermore, the therapeutic relationship itself can be a way to explore how a person relates to others. This is through a process called transference, when someone projects feelings about someone else onto their therapist. These feelings and reactions can be explored, allowing them to gain further insight into how they relate to others and to make positive changes. 

Mental Health Interventions Psychodynamic Teens May Experience

A primary component of psychodynamic therapy is uncovering the unconscious mind. However, it can be difficult to know the things that are hidden from awareness. This is where therapeutic interventions enter the room. These interventions are techniques used to access the unconscious and to increase self-awareness.3

Some interventions and techniques used in psychodynamic therapy include:

  • Exploring past experiences:     Talking about past experiences and relationships can help teens understand why they make certain decisions and how they may contribute to feelings of distress. 
  • Free association: Adolescents are encouraged to speak freely about whatever comes to mind. This can help to reveal unconscious thoughts and feelings. 
  • Defence mechanisms analysis: Teenagers sometimes repress memories or experience denial as a way to unconsciously protect themselves from painful feelings. By uncovering and analysing these, teens can gain awareness and insight into their underlying inner conflicts. 
  • Dream analysis: Recounting and analyzing dreams is a technique used to unveil hidden fears, desires, and motivations. In our dreams, thoughts and feelings that may have been locked away from awareness can surface. So, by exploring these, it’s possible to have a window into our unconscious mind.  
  • Transference analysis: As previously noted, transference occurs when someone unconsciously projects feelings and expectations onto their therapist. These projections often mirror how the person relates to others in relationships. Therefore, transference analysis can bring unconscious projections into awareness, allow them to be examined, and enhance their understanding of how they relate to other people. 
  • Exploring emotions: Adolescents may be encouraged to explore and express a range of emotions, including those that feel uncomfortable. 

While these are some of the common approaches used, it’s important to note that every therapy session may be different. There are also many different psychotherapy programs for teens, so it’s important to know whether the psychodynamic approach is appropriate for your child. The next section can help you with this decision. 

Is Psychodynamic Therapy Right for My Teen?

Psychodynamic therapy for teens is an evidence-based approach that can help improve symptoms of several mental health conditions as well as provide the opportunity for personal growth. 

This approach may suit teens who have the ability for self-reflection and are keen to gain insight into what drives their behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. It is also often a long process of self-exploration compared to other types of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitization reprocessing therapy (EMDR), and hence requires a longer-term commitment. Therefore, it may be more appropriate for teens who are seeking a deeper healing process rather than a “quick-fix” for rapid symptom relief. 

It’s equally important to remember that you may be the person who knows your child the best. Because of this, it’s important for you to consider their preferences and personality when exploring therapeutic approaches and to include them in the decision-making. If your teen thrives with structure, the psychodynamic approach may be challenging for them due to the open nature of discussions and exploration. However, if they have a curious mind and would benefit from long-term support, psychodynamic therapy may be a good approach to investigate further. 

If your teen seems emotionally shut down, has low self-esteem, or feels confused about why they act the way they do, psychodynamic therapy may offer a way to inner healing. With therapy, teenagers can look forward to living a life with more clarity, confidence, and compassion. 

teenage girl smiling in front of blossom tree after effective psychodynamic therapy for teens

Finding Psychodynamic Therapists Through Mission Prep

Every teen deserves a safe space to explore their emotions, understand themselves better, and grow with support. Psychodynamic therapy can provide that foundation for them to flourish. 

If you think that your teen could benefit from compassionate guidance and long-term healing, we are here to help. At Mission Prep, we offer personalized therapy for teens struggling with their mental health and well-being. We provide virtual therapy as well as face-to-face sessions on a flexible schedule, ensuring your teen receives the support they need, when they need it. 

Reach out to us today to connect with a therapist who’s the right fit for your teen. 

References

  1. AACAP. (2019). Psychotherapy for children and Adolescents: different types. https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Psychotherapies-For-Children-And-Adolescents-086.aspx
  2. American Psychological Association. (2018, April 19). Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. APA Dictionary of Psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/psychodynamic-psychotherapy
  3. Opland, C., & Torrico, T. J. (2024, September 2). Psychodynamic therapy. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK606117/
  4. Kessler, R., Amminger, G., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Alonso, J., Lee, S., & Ustun, T. (2007). Age of onset of mental disorders: a review of recent literature. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 20(4), 359–364. https://doi.org/10.1097/yco.0b013e32816ebc8c
  5. Leichsenring, F., Abbass, A., Heim, N., Keefe, J. R., Kisely, S., Luyten, P., Rabung, S., & Steinert, C. (2023). The status of psychodynamic psychotherapy as an empirically supported treatment for common mental disorders – an umbrella review based on updated criteria. World Psychiatry, 22(2), 286–304. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.21104
  6. Løvgren, A., Røssberg, J. I., Engebretsen, E., & Ulberg, R. (2020). Improvement in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Depression: A Qualitative study of the patients’ perspective. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6843. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186843
  7. Izydorczyk, B. (2010). Psychotherapy based on object relation with object and psychodynamic attitude to treatment of eating disorders. Psychiatria Polska, 44(5), 677-691. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21452503/
  8. Milrod, B., Busch, F., Leon, A. C., Aronson, A., Roiphe, J., Rudden, M., Singer, M., Shapiro, T., Goldman, H., Richter, D., & Shear, M. K. (2001). A pilot open trial of brief psychodynamic psychotherapy for panic disorder. The Journal of psychotherapy practice and research, 10(4), 239–245. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3330664/
  9. Luyten, P., & Fonagy, P. (2020). Psychodynamic psychotherapy for patients with functional somatic disorders and the road to recovery. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 73(4), 125–130. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20200010
  10. Levi, O., Bar‐Haim, Y., Kreiss, Y., & Fruchter, E. (2015). Cognitive-Behavioural therapy and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in the Treatment of Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Comparative Effectiveness study. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 23(4), 298–307. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.1969
  11. Dresden, D. (2020, September 30). What is psychodynamic therapy? Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/psychodynamic-therapy
  12. Rabung, S., Pranjic, C., Stingl, C., Cropp, C., Krischer, M., Kronmüller, K., Meisel, B., Müller, A., Müller-Göttken, T., Reich, G., Schepker, R., Streeck-Fischer, A., Taubner, S., Timmermann, H., & Windaus, E. (2021). Evidenz für psychoanalytisch begründete Verfahren für Kinder und Jugendliche. Praxis Der Kinderpsychologie Und Kinderpsychiatrie, 70(6), 479–498. https://doi.org/10.13109/prkk.2021.70.6.479
  13. Ho, C., & Adcock, L. (2017, October 12). Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Mental illness: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines. NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525874/
  14. Eurich, T. (2018, January 4). What Self-Awareness Really Is (and How to Cultivate It). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2018/01/what-self-awareness-really-is-and-how-to-cultivate-it
  15. Dimic, T., Farrell, A., Ahern, E., & Houghton, S. (2023). Young people’s experience of the therapeutic alliance: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 30(6), 1482–1511. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2885
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