At this point in the history of psychiatry it is important for psychodynamic psychiatry to strengthen its identity as a discipline in its own right—distinct from organized psychoanalysis. Although some of its principles overlap with psychoanalytic psychology, there are important differences. Psychodynamic psychiatry places a greater emphasis on immediate therapeutic outcome. It has a much wider patient base, and flexible models of duration and frequency of treatment. Its assumptions also rest on scientifically validated data to a much larger degree than psychoanalysis. A sturdier identity might help psychodynamic psychiatry stand alongside bio-descriptive psychiatry as a core component of American Psychiatry.