The Theory and Techniques of Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

More and more clients are presenting with entrenched relational patterns and chronic emotional avoidance—patterns that resist surface-level intervention and demand work at the level of unconscious process. Yet translating psychodynamic principles into focused, time-sensitive treatment requires specific formulation skills and technical precision that extend beyond traditional long-term approaches.

This intensive workshop provides you with a systematic framework for conducting Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (STDP), integrating attachment theory, interpersonal-relational dynamics, and experiential-affective techniques into a coherent clinical method. Led by Dr. Stacy Bradley, an experienced clinical psychologist and training director, the course guides you through the full arc of dynamic treatment—from initial formulation through defense work, affective deepening, and relational transformation.

Master the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme (CCRT) formulation method
You will learn to systematically identify clients' internalized relational patterns through relationship episodes, articulating the precise wishes, anticipated responses, and self-responses that perpetuate psychological distress. This structured approach enables you to formulate cases with clarity and communicate dynamics effectively to clients in ways that mobilize insight.

Work strategically with defensive processes using the Triangle of Conflict
You will strengthen your capacity to recognize defenses as they emerge in session, understand their adaptive origins and current costs, and intervene in ways that invite rather than provoke—creating space for clients to relinquish outdated protective strategies. The training emphasizes differentiating anxiety from core affect and guiding clients through full emotional experiences.

Utilize the therapeutic relationship as a primary instrument of change
You will develop greater facility in recognizing and working with transference manifestations as they occur, using the Triangle of Persons to link past relational templates with current patterns and in-session enactments. The course demonstrates how to facilitate corrective emotional experiences through experiential disconfirmation of clients' relational expectations.

Implement time-sensitive treatment with appropriate case selection
You will refine your clinical judgment regarding which clients are well-suited for brief dynamic work versus those requiring modified approaches, and develop the active, focused therapeutic stance that characterizes effective short-term treatment without compromising depth or relational attunement.

Throughout the workshop, Dr. Bradley illustrates each theoretical principle and technical intervention with detailed case material, including session recordings that demonstrate the moment-to-moment process of dynamic therapy. You will observe how formulations guide intervention choices, how defense work opens access to core affect, and how experiential processing in the therapeutic relationship catalyzes lasting change in clients' internal working models.

By integrating these methods into your practice, you will be equipped to help clients move beyond symptomatic relief toward fundamental shifts in how they experience themselves and relate to others—achieving meaningful therapeutic outcomes within a defined treatment frame.