Psychodynamic therapy treats defensiveness as a window into the patient's relational history rather than a behavior to be extinguished. Every defensive reaction reveals something about what the patient learned to protect themselves from and how they learned to do it. The therapist works with the patient to decode these reactions over time, building an understanding of the defense that is specific to the patient's experience. That understanding is what creates the possibility of responding differently, because the patient begins to recognize the defense as it activates rather than only seeing it in retrospect.
Dr. David Steinbok provides psychodynamic psychotherapy from his Boca Raton, Florida office. His practice is private-pay with monthly documentation for out-of-network insurance reimbursement. The office has no receptionist and is designed for complete privacy. To schedule an initial session, call (561) 362-9952.
