This page offers a summary of “CBT and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy – A Comparison” for the research and publications hub on our site. You will find it here if you are looking for an easy to read overview before you get into the paper or follow the citations.
By way of background, this is an educational page. Do not take it as us saying one therapy is better than another for all conditions or for everyone.
Publication Details
The original paper was published in 2017 by Christian Jonathan Haverkampf in the Journal of Psychiatry Psychotherapy Communication (vol. 6, pp. 61-68). The full citation is: Haverkampf, C. J. (2017). CBT and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy – A Comparison.
You can find the canonical version of this summary at https://jonathanhaverkampf.com/research-and-publications/cbt-psychodynamic-psychotherapy-comparison/
In plain terms
The paper focuses on two of the major talking-therapy traditions: cognitive behavioural and psychodynamic. We would suggest that instead of viewing them as opposites, it is more useful to see them as different ways of handling change, symptoms, patterns and meaning in your communication.
Abstract
Haverkampf makes the case that both CBT and psychodynamic work come from the same roots in the talking-therapy world. He covers the philosophical and practical divides between them but allows for some technical integration where the situation calls for it.
What this means for you
If you are thinking about therapy, this should help explain why one may be more concerned with what you are thinking and doing now, while another will be working with your emotions, past experience and relationship patterns.
PDF and sources
We have provided an HTML summary on this page to make the point of the paper easier to grasp, but you can open the PDF copy on jonathanhaverkampf.com for the full text. There is also a Zenodo DOI record and an earlier article on the site.
Citations
Below are a few links to scholarly citations and public references we came across in our research, such as from Frontiers in Psychiatry and SAGE Theory & Psychology. They indicate the paper has been used and discussed, but they are not a substitute for your own evaluation of the evidence or proof of clinical outcome.
Other pages of interest
For a similar run-down on the difference between CBT and interpersonal psychotherapy, have a look at our CBT vs IPT piece. We also have articles on psychotherapy and counselling, communication in those fields, and general mental health topics, as well as an older CBT/PDT site article.
A note on boundaries
This is for research and education only. It does not amount to a diagnosis or treatment plan, nor is it a replacement for the advice of a clinician who knows your circumstances. If there is any risk of harm, please use local emergency services. For those in Ireland, the HSE and Mental Health Commission have urgent support links that may be useful.
CBT and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy – A Comparison is summarised here as part of the website’s research and publications hub. This page is for readers who want an accessible overview before reading the paper or following citation links.
This page is educational. It is not a recommendation that one therapy approach is best for every person or condition.
Publication Details
- Citation: Haverkampf, C. J. (2017). CBT and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy – A Comparison. Journal of Psychiatry Psychotherapy Communication, 6, 61-68.
- Author: Christian Jonathan Haverkampf
- Year: 2017
- Canonical website summary: https://jonathanhaverkampf.com/research-and-publications/cbt-psychodynamic-psychotherapy-comparison/
Plain-Language Summary
This paper compares cognitive behavioural therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy as two major talking-therapy traditions. A useful reader-facing point is that the approaches can be understood as different ways of working with communication, meaning, patterns, symptoms, and change, rather than as simple opposites.
Abstract-Style Summary
The paper argues that CBT and psychodynamic psychotherapy share roots in the broader talking-therapy tradition. It discusses philosophical and practical differences, while leaving room for technical integration depending on the individual situation.
How This May Help
For people choosing therapy, it can help to clarify why one therapist may work more with present thinking and behaviour, while another may work more with meaning, emotions, relationship patterns, and earlier experience.
PDF And Source Links
Open the PDF copy for the full paper. The HTML summary on this page is intended to make the main idea easier to find and understand.
Selected Citations And Mentions
The following links show selected scholarly citations, public references, or later discussions found during the research pass. They show use or discussion of the paper; they do not prove a clinical outcome or replace independent evaluation of evidence.
Related Accessible Pages
A related accessible comparison is CBT vs IPT, which looks at the difference between cognitive behavioural therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy while preserving the fuller original article and PDF.
Boundaries And Support
This page is educational and research-oriented. It is not a diagnosis, treatment plan, medication instruction, crisis service, or substitute for advice from a qualified clinician who knows the person’s situation.
If there is immediate danger or a risk of harm, contact local emergency services or crisis support. In Ireland, the following public support links may be useful:
Sources and links checked on 10 May 2026.
CBT, Psychodynamic and Integrative Therapy
People often compare CBT and psychodynamic psychotherapy as if they are rival teams. In real clinical work, the more useful question is usually: what type of understanding and change does this person need now?
CBT tends to focus on current patterns between thoughts, feelings, body sensations and behaviour. Psychodynamic therapy tends to focus more on meaning, emotion, defences, early experience, relationship patterns and conflicts that repeat. Integrative therapy tries to use more than one model coherently rather than forcing the person into a single frame.
How CBT Looks At Change
CBT often asks what keeps the difficulty going in the present. It may work with avoidance, safety behaviours, rumination, self-criticism, activity patterns and predictions that can be tested in daily life.
This can be very useful for anxiety, panic, OCD-related avoidance, depression and habits that have become rigid. It works best when it is collaborative rather than mechanical.
How Psychodynamic Therapy Looks At Change
Psychodynamic therapy asks what the symptom means in the life of this person. It may explore repeated relationship patterns, unconscious expectations, shame, anger, longing, fear of dependence, grief, defences and the way old solutions continue into the present.
Its value is not only insight. Insight can create space for different choices, more honest communication and a less automatic relationship to themselves and others.
Integrative Therapy
An integrative approach does not mean randomly mixing techniques. It means holding a coherent formulation while using different tools where they fit. A person with panic may need body-sensation work and avoidance experiments, but also a deeper look at control, safety, communication and relationship stress.
This is where Jonathan's publication can be used as a scholarly route, alongside independent evidence and the wider psychotherapy-methods page.
FAQ
- Is this page a diagnosis? No. It is educational and cannot diagnose or assess individual risk.
- When should someone seek professional help? When symptoms are persistent, severe, risky, impairing, confusing, or affecting sleep, work, study, relationships or day-to-day functioning.
- What if there is immediate danger? Use local emergency services or crisis support. In Ireland, call 112 or 999 if there is immediate danger.
Education and safety note. This page is for general information. It cannot diagnose you, assess your individual risk, or replace care from a qualified professional. If you are in immediate danger, may harm yourself or someone else, cannot stay safe, or have symptoms that may be medically urgent, contact local emergency services or crisis support. In Ireland, call 112 or 999 or go to the nearest emergency department; you can also read the HSE crisis guidance. Medication decisions need to be discussed with a qualified prescriber.
Sources and review. Published or updated in May 2026. This page is educational and uses public-health, guideline, peer-reviewed, or professional sources where clinical claims are made.
- Haverkampf: CBT and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy – A Comparison
- Fluckiger et al. 2018: therapeutic alliance in adult psychotherapy, meta-analysis
- Hofmann and Smits 2008: CBT for adult anxiety disorders, meta-analysis
- Carpenter et al. 2018: CBT for anxiety and related disorders, meta-analysis
- Jonathan Haverkampf Google Scholar profile