Overcoming Bias in Graduate Student Perceptions of Psychodynamic Therapy

Despite a growing body of literature demonstrating the effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapy, there remains widespread bias against psychodynamic theory and the evidence base for psychodynamic treatment of various kinds. This bias contributes to a lack of diversity in the field of psychology that threatens psychological research through an unhealthy intellectual monoculture. Downstream, the bias also limits patients' access to diverse treatment options available in the public sector. Government funding and insurance reimbursements favor short-term behavioral interventions and psychopharmacology, and those on public insurance often cannot afford the diverse treatment options available in private practice. Graduate training is a key factor in shaping trainees' perceptions of various psychotherapy models, and this influence carries on into their careers. There is limited research into graduate psychodynamic pedagogy. This mixed methods study investigates student perceptions of psychodynamic practice after taking a doctoral-level semester-long course on the subject. Results suggest that although some negative perceptions linger, students do report many positive changes in their perceptions. Despite a large majority of students consciously identifying with a theoretical orientation other than psychodynamic, students blindly reported using more psychodynamic techniques than cognitive–behavioral techniques in their own practice. This discordance between theoretical identity and actual practice speaks to lingering bias against psychodynamic therapy even among those who use psychodynamic techniques in their practice.