Treatments · Therapies
Psychodynamic therapy — and the evidence often left out of the conversation
A clean overview of the modern psychodynamic tradition, and what randomized trials actually show.
American Psychological Association7 min read
Psychodynamic therapy has been treated for decades as the 'unscientific' alternative to CBT. The empirical picture is more interesting: well-conducted trials show effect sizes comparable to CBT for several conditions, with some evidence of more durable post-treatment gains.
APA's overview is a useful corrective for readers who have only encountered the caricature of either tradition.
Mental Hum's library is a curated index of authoritative third-party resources. The summary above is our own framing; the full information lives at the source.
A note on this article
Mental Hum publishes general education, not medical advice. If something here reflects your own experience, please consider speaking to a clinician. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.