Depth Therapy

Depth therapy, or depth psychology, refers to therapeutic approaches that take the unconscious into account. It is an interdisciplinary approach and therapists that practice depth therapy believe that everyone has traits they may not be aware of that influence their emotions, decisions, work, and life. The unconscious influence that these traits have may be negative, and depth therapy helps individuals better recognize these subconscious forces at work, so that they might better understand their present situation. A therapist specializing in depth therapy will work to help you gain more self-awareness in order to further develop positive traits and cope with the negatives. Think this approach may be right for you? Reach out to one of TherapyDen’s depth therapy experts today!

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Meet the specialists

 

We like to think we know everything, but doing this work it's become apparent there's a lot more going on than we can see. Beneath our everyday lives, there's a vibrant world of hidden thoughts, feelings, images and sensations, all acting on us in ways we don't realize. So when we look at personal transformation, it's not just about solving problems and becoming a better person, but learning about and respecting the great forces that are always working below our awareness.

— Jesse Cardin, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in San Antonio, TX

The ability to symbolize is the cornerstone of mental health. Depth therapy involves many things like our shadows, the unconscious part of our personalities that we do not readily show to others, but it also involves looking at how our personal lives and conflicts are deeply tied to the collective unconscious through archetypal patterns that speak through us all, whether we like it or not. Depth therapy involves going below the surface of our conscious awareness.

— Brian Stachowiak, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Los Angeles, CA
 

Depth Therapy uncovers deeply-rooted patterns and experiences that are influencing thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. By delving deeper, I help clients unravel hidden narratives, fostering a richer understanding of themselves to create lasting, positive change.

— Katherine Nieweglowski, Licensed Professional Counselor

Contemporary depth psychology focuses on the value of linking the conscious self with what is shut out of conscious awareness, i.e. the unconscious self. This approach also called “psychodynamic” or “psychoanalytic” can be applied to helping to explore and resolve childhood and intergenerational socio-cultural trauma. Depth therapy may make use of dreamwork, shadow work, creative process, memories, inner child and family work, and exploration of hidden strengths. --

— Matthew Silverstein, Clinical Psychologist
 

Many forms of therapy are like placing a Band-Aid over an untreated wound. Depth-oriented therapy helps you go beneath the surface. Diving deep in therapy allows you to get to the root of the issues and problems you're facing so that you can free yourself up to live a more rich and meaningful life.

— Julia Lehrman, Psychotherapist in San Francisco, CA

Depth Therapy is based on the psychology of Carl Jung and believes you have a conscious and an unconscious life. The unconscious can be running the show without your knowledge. In this type of therapy I guide you through a process to help you access self awareness and inner wisdom as we gently uncover the parts of you that need conscious healing. We work from the inside out & we always uncover without shame or blame. This is how we start becoming more of who we are & less of who we are not.

— Christina Sheehan, Licensed Professional Counselor in Portland, OR
 

Depth psychotherapy is a dynamic exploration of your life. Taken with a trusted and skilled guide, this collaborative journey can bring long-lasting relief from suffering and freedom from deeply engrained, self-defeating and unconscious patterns that keep you from being your self in the world and from living a more fulfilling life.

— David Brown, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in San Francisco, CA

Depth therapy is meant usually for people who feel they don't understand why life hasn't felt satisfying to them, why nothing works out over the long term, and why perhaps their relationships have been unsuccessful. Most of these issues involve unconscious conflicts and feelings that need to be uncovered over time. With the right help, though, someone can become much more successful over time, both in work and in love.

— Wendy S Kaiser, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York, NY
 

I use Sandplay and Jungian theory to deepen the work and explore issues of meaning, self, purpose and patterns.

— Sandra Berger, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in OAKLAND, CA

In addition to psychodynamic theory, I also drawn on neuroscience, consciousness studies, spiritual traditions, and attachment theory to inform my depth-oriented approach.

— Michael Marossy, Clinical Psychologist in Pasadena, CA
 

Depth oriented therapy includes exploration of unconscious as well as conscious thoughts/feelings. Unconscious processes are often responsible for obsessive and compulsive thoughts and behaviors and for persistent or repetitive patterns in thoughts, feelings, and relationships. Focusing treatment on the unconscious can yield longer-lasting and ongoing improvement versus focusing on symptoms alone.

— Liz Fletcher, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Oklahoma City, OK

I practice psychoanalytic therapy from a depth-psychology perspective. This means that treatment with me is geared towards longer term exploration of how the past informs your present relationships. We will examine what relational dynamics that you learned in chilhood are still playing out within the therapeutic relationship in real time.

— Leigh Huggins, Associate Marriage & Family Therapist in Pasadena, CA
 

Another term for this therapy more accurately naming what I practice in most sessions is Coherence Therapy. Coherence Therapy is a newer term for what was once called Depth-Oriented Brief Therapy. This approach is a 'bottom up' way of processing and healing CPTSD and old inner-child wounds that are so commonly seen in highly-sensitive people. Often, wounds that have stuck with us in some way since childhood randomly present themselves in adulthood, causing frustrating effects in need of healing.

— Allison Freeman, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate in Belmont, NC

Through the study of dreams, images, symptoms, slips of the tongue, spontaneous humor, coincidences & interpersonal engagements. This work attempts to help individuals become aware of what has been cast out of consciousness or not yet able to be known. Healing is associated with allowing what has been repressed, rejected, denied or ignored to come forward so that the person can understand, explore & integrate it, allowing for a transformation in consciousness.

— Jerry Moreau, Marriage & Family Therapist in San Diego, CA
 

Although I am not a trained Jungian Analyst, I am inspired by the works of Jung in his ability to find what I would call the true self. I think that honoring the subtle, mysterious aspects of consciousness can create a deep and meaningful bond between the clinician and client. I can explore the way your life experiences have paved identity formation. I work with clients to fill out the nuances of their life story, and explore themselves in unique ways they have not explored thus far.

— Caitlin Miller, Counselor in Chicago, IL

Within psychodynamic approaches, depth and Jungian orientations offer a creative view of the human psyche. The presence of story, imagination, dream-tending, art, expression, association, intuition, and the numinous are appreciated within the therapeutic relationship. These elements help to reveal unconscious material, personal, and collective complexes that are influencing one’s life and relationships.

— Rebecca Bruno, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Pasadena, CA