Relational Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy with Dr. Matthew Grant, Psy.D., HSPP

Relational Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (RPP) is a therapeutic approach that integrates the principles of traditional psychoanalysis with an emphasis on the relational dynamics between therapist and patient.

• Relational psychoanalysis focuses on the idea that the therapeutic relationship itself plays a crucial role in healing and understanding the patient’s internal world.
• The relationship between therapist and patient is viewed as central to the therapeutic process.
• This approach emphasizes how early relationships (particularly with primary caregivers) shape a person’s expectations, feelings, and behaviors in later relationships.
• Relational psychoanalysis asserts that both the therapist and the patient influence one another.
• Similar to other attachment-based approaches, relational psychoanalysis often highlights how early attachment experiences impact later emotional functioning and relationships.
• The therapy is viewed as a collaborative journey where both therapist and patient work together.
• Like classical psychoanalysis, RPP explores the unconscious aspects of the patient’s mind, but with more emphasis on how these unconscious processes manifest in the therapist-patient relationship.
• The therapist’s understanding of the patient’s internal world is informed by what unfolds in the sessions, including emotional responses, conflicts, and relational challenges.