“Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP), is a valid and reliable psychotherapy that focuses on helping people recognise, understand and overcome their automatic patterns (thoughts, feelings and behaviours) of how they see and relate to themselves, others and the world in general. It is these automatic patterns that are responsible for a large percentage of the psychological problems and disorders that people experience.”
Dr Steve Arthey
All practitioners at Mindbridge Psychology have completed or are in the process of completing the Core Training in ISTDP with Dr Steve Arthey.
ISTDP is a model that is compatible with other therapy interventions. It can be used in conjunction with other psychological approaches such as CBT, schema therapy and EMDR.
Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy has been described as an accelerated form of psycho-dynamic therapy. It is more focused and active than traditional psychotherapy but has retained the capacity to illuminate the underlying patterns of thought, defense, memory, and emotion which create internal suffering. It has been shown to be effective in the treatment of a wide range of problems.
The aim of ISTDP is that each individual reaches a full and positive position of engagement with their life, work, and relationships, rather than just removing negative symptoms.
ISTDP is practiced in a way that is consistent with attachment theory, and the latest neuroscientific evidence on how the adult brain changes. It incorporates aspects of mindfulness, cognitive therapy, emotional reprocessing, and family systems work into a flexible treatment model which is tailored to each individual client. It can lead to rapid change in clients due to its focused technique. Improvements in well-being and functioning generally continue beyond the end of the therapy.