psychodynamic

[ sahy-koh-dahy-nam-ik ]

adjective

1. Psychology. of or relating to any clinical approach to personality, as Freud’s, that sees personality and behavior as the result of the ongoing, shifting interplay of conscious and unconscious emotional and motivational forces:

   By identifying the unconscious drives and forgotten experiences that influence decisions, psychodynamic therapy can be helpful in choosing new positive behaviors and leaving self-destructive ones behind.

Other Words From

• psy·cho·dy·nam·i·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychodynamic¹

psycho- ( def ) + dynamic ( def )

Example Sentences

Casey Schwartz is a graduate of Brown University and has a master's in psychodynamic neuroscience from University College London.

From The Daily Beast

But many other psychodynamic explanations have little or no evidence to back them up.

From The Daily Beast

Such was the psychodynamic that brought down Hillary Clinton.

From The Daily Beast