Psychodynamic therapy works with emotional guardedness by treating it as meaningful rather than obstructive. The guardedness carries information about the patient's history, his relational experiences, and the specific conditions under which his emotional system learned to shut down. The therapist's job is to understand that information collaboratively with the patient, not to pry the patient open. As understanding develops, the guardedness begins to soften on its own, because the patient's internal system is recalibrating its assessment of how dangerous emotional expression actually is in the context of this particular relationship.
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, call (561) 362-9952.
