Why I chose to become and ISTDP therapist

My journey to becoming an ISTDP (Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy) therapist has been shaped by many years of learning and personal growth. I started out as a CBT therapist, and while I found it helpful for some clients, I didn’t feel it offered the depth I was looking for. I then gravitated towards psychodynamic therapy, which really resonated with me. It felt more in tune with my approach as it focused on exploring the unconscious mind, emotional patterns, and past experiences.

However, despite the insights both models provided, something was missing. Clients would gain a lot of self-awareness, but it wasn’t enough to bring about lasting change. The insights they had were valuable, but they never seemed to fully shift the underlying emotional blocks that kept them stuck. There was this constant feeling that, even with all the understanding, real progress wasn’t being made. I knew I had to find something that would go beyond just gaining insight and actually help clients break free from their emotional struggles.

That’s when I first came across ISTDP. At first, I was quite sceptical. I had been taught to sit back, not intervene too much, and allow the therapy to unfold at its own pace. The idea of actively pushing therapy forward felt almost unnatural. How could I possibly intervene so directly? How could I push the therapy in a more intense direction? I thought, “How dare I try and push therapy forward?” It went against everything I had been taught. I wasn’t sure if this approach would suit me or my clients. But my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to watch some footage of ISTDP sessions.

What I saw completely changed my perspective. I could see how powerful this approach was. The way the therapists worked with emotional defences, the breakthroughs that happened, and most importantly, the real, lasting changes clients experienced—everything clicked for me. I realised this wasn’t just about talking about emotions or gaining insight. It was about getting to the heart of the issue, confronting emotions head-on, and experiencing them in real time. And that’s when the breakthroughs happened.

After seeing how effective ISTDP was, I knew it was the right direction for me. It’s not just a method, it’s an approach that brings real, meaningful change to clients in a way that’s both intense and deeply rewarding. While ISTDP is a complex model that requires a lot of work and dedication, the changes it can bring are so impactful. I’ve seen clients make remarkable progress—progress that wasn’t possible through traditional methods.

The transformation isn’t always immediate, but when it does happen, it’s incredible. Watching clients work through emotional blocks, confront long-held fears, and break free from patterns that have kept them stuck is one of the most fulfilling parts of my work. It’s this kind of change that keeps me so passionate about ISTDP and motivated to keep learning and growing as a therapist.

Becoming an ISTDP therapist has been a pivotal moment in my career, not just in terms of the results I’ve seen with clients, but also in how I approach therapy itself. It’s a method that requires courage—both from the therapist and the client—but it offers a way forward for those who feel they’ve tried everything else and still find themselves stuck.