Effectiveness and How It Works

Key Takeaways

• Insight-oriented therapy helps people understand how past experiences can affect their current behavior.
• The therapist explores the client’s past to identify patterns or themes that may be affecting their behavior.
• Techniques like free association and dream interpretation help uncover unconscious conflicts.

Insight-oriented therapy helps people understand how past experiences can affect their current behavior. Having this insight can help them make changes to problematic or limiting behaviors, thereby improving their outcomes.

Learn more about the elements of insight-oriented therapy and the techniques used. It’s also helpful to understand the conditions this type of therapy can help treat and the benefits it offers, as well as its potential limitations if you’re considering whether it’s the right therapy for you.

Elements of Insight-Oriented Therapy

Insight-oriented therapy is a type of psychodynamic therapy, which means that it focuses on the psychological factors that influence behavior. Although it has several formulations, there are common elements. One of these elements is the concept of unconscious internal conflicts stemming from early life experiences.

Unresolved conflicts may cause problems in adulthood because they are hidden from conscious awareness. Signs that a client’s issues may stem from an internal conflict rather than their circumstances or some other external factor include experiencing:

It is the role of the therapist to help clients understand how their current life problems may be connected with internal conflict, often by exploring the client’s past experiences and identifying certain patterns or themes. The process can be speedy—occurring over a matter of days or months—or extremely lengthy depending on the patient’s willingness to explore their emotions and memories.

Discomfort is common during therapy sessions when negative feelings are triggered. But as insight emerges, so does an increased understanding of one’s own behavior. This improved understanding helps put them in a better position to change dysfunctional behaviors that have been causing them difficulties.

Get Help Now

We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

Insight-Oriented Therapy Techniques

Some of the techniques that may be used in insight-oriented therapy include:

• Free association: With this technique, clients are encouraged to say whatever comes to mind without censorship. This allows the therapist to gain a better understanding of the client’s thoughts and feelings.
• Dream interpretation: Dreams can provide insight into unconscious conflicts and memories that may be affecting behavior in the present. The therapist may encourage the client to talk about their dreams and even draw them, allowing the therapist to interpret what they might mean.
• Exploration of the past: The therapist encourages the client to talk about their childhood and any traumatic experiences that may have occurred. This can help to identify patterns or themes that may be affecting behavior in adulthood.
• Interpretation of symptoms: Symptoms can provide clues about the underlying causes of problems. The therapist will work with the client to interpret these symptoms and understand how they might be related to unresolved conflicts from the past.
• Use of metaphors: Metaphors can help convey complex ideas in a way that is easier for clients to understand. The therapist may use metaphors to help explain how certain behaviors are related to internal conflicts.
• Confrontation: In some cases, the therapist may need to confront the client about certain behaviors or beliefs. This is particularly true if the client is engaging in destructive behavior, such as substance abuse. The therapist will try to help the client understand why they feel the need to engage in this behavior and encourage them to find healthier ways of coping with difficult feelings or situations.
• Psychoeducation: Insight-oriented therapy helps clients gain insight into their emotions and motivations. However, just gaining this insight does not necessarily mean that it will translate into positive changes in behavior. Therapy involving psychoeducation can be important because it provides a foundation for healthy behavior change. Clients may benefit from learning how thoughts influence feelings and how actions are driven by unconscious thoughts and feeling states.

Conditions Insight-Oriented Therapy Can Help Treat

Insight-oriented therapy may be helpful with a wide range of mental health conditions, including:

Anxiety and Depression

People who suffer from depression or anxiety sometimes experience feelings of inadequacy that may stem from problems in early life. Insight-oriented therapy can help clients explore these issues and gain insight into how they came to believe negative things about themselves.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa are sometimes associated with unconscious conflicts related to the desire for control. Participants in insight-oriented therapy can come to understand why they feel the need for such rigid control over their eating habits and how this relates to conflicts from the past. This can help them develop healthier ways of coping with these feelings.

Substance Abuse

Insight-oriented therapy can be a useful aid for those who wish to overcome addiction. Clients come to understand the motivations behind using substances and therapists can work with them to find healthier alternatives for dealing with difficult emotions.    

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Insight-oriented therapy can be helpful for people living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This therapy type may help them identify the underlying causes of their symptoms and guide them toward developing healthier ways of coping with triggers.

Psychosis

Insight-oriented therapy can also be helpful for individuals with signs of psychosis. It provides them an opportunity to gain insight into what might be triggering episodes and how they could come to terms with these issues.

Insight-oriented therapy has been around for over 100 years and been found effective in treating a variety of mental health conditions.

Benefits of Insight-Oriented Therapy

Insight-oriented therapy can be a beneficial form of treatment for those who are willing to explore their thoughts and feelings in depth. It can help individuals understand why they feel the way they do, identify unhealthy patterns of behavior, and find healthier ways of coping with difficult emotions.

In addition, insight-oriented therapy can help people develop a better understanding of themselves and their place in the world. This increased self-awareness can lead to positive changes in both personal and professional relationships.

Effectiveness of Insight-Oriented Therapy

There has not been an abundance of research on insight-oriented therapy. However, there is some evidence that incorporating insight into therapy is an important agent for change.

For example, a 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the relationship between insight and outcomes after psychotherapy. It demonstrated the importance of insight during the therapeutic process.

Other studies have also found positive results. For instance, one piece of research also published in 2018 noted that insight-oriented therapy is helpful for people with both psychiatric conditions and substance use issues.

Is Insight-Oriented Therapy Right For You?

Insight-oriented therapy can be a powerful tool for self-discovery, but it is not right for everyone. There are a few things to consider before beginning this type of therapy:

• Are you willing to explore your thoughts and feelings in depth? If you are not prepared to delve into the root of your problems, insight-oriented therapy may not be right for you. This type of therapy requires a great deal of introspection and willingness to face difficult truths about oneself.
• Does it feel safe to discuss sensitive topics with your therapist? For insight-oriented therapy to be effective, it is necessary for clients to feel safe discussing their thoughts and feelings with their therapist. If there are any topics that you feel uncomfortable discussing, it is important to communicate this to your therapist.
• Are you prepared to make changes in your behavior? During insight-oriented therapy, it is often necessary for clients to make behavior changes. If you are not willing or able to make these changes, the therapy may not be effective.
• Will you commit to attending regular sessions? It is important for clients to attend regular insight-oriented therapy sessions. If you are unable to commit to a regular schedule, this type of therapy may not be right for you.

How to Get Started with Insight-Oriented Therapy

If you are wondering how to get started with insight-oriented therapy, here are a few tips:

1. Talk to your therapist about whether this approach is right for you. It is important to discuss whether insight-oriented therapy is the right fit for you. If you think that this approach may be beneficial, let your therapist know.
2. Ask your therapist about their training and experience with this approach. To ensure that you are working with a qualified therapist, ask about their training and experience with insight-oriented therapy.
3. Do your research. Take the time to learn as much as you can about this approach before beginning treatment.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Jennissen S, Huber J, Ehrenthal JC, Schauenburg H, Dinger U. Association between insight and outcome of psychotherapy: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Psychiatry. 2018;175(10):961-969. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17080847

2. Shafti SS. Classical approach as an operative outlet to clinical psychoanalysis in evolving societies. Int J Psychoanalysis Educ. 2019;11(1):5-18.

3. Solano P, Quagelli L. On “free associative activities”. Psychoanal Rev. 2015;102(2):237-264. doi:10.1521/prev.2015.102.2.237

4. Tursi MF, Baes Cv, Camacho FR, Tofoli SM, Juruena MF. Effectiveness of psychoeducation for depression: a systematic review. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2013;47(11):1019-1031. doi:10.1177/0004867413491154

5. Fonagy P. The effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapies: An update. World Psychiatry. 2015;14(2):137-150. doi:10.1002/wps.20235

6. Oldershaw A, Startup H, Lavender T. Anorexia nervosa and a lost emotional self: A psychological formulation of the development, maintenance, and treatment of anorexia nervosa. Front Psychol. 2019;10:219. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00219

7. Adebayo A, Ebenezer AO, Daniel KO. Response of substance use patients to insight oriented therapy at federal neuropsychiatric hospital Aro, Abeokuta. Int J Psychother Africa. 2018;3(1):95-106.

By Arlin Cuncic, MA

Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master’s degree in clinical psychology.

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?

Helpful

Report an Error

Other