Revisiting Community Work From a Psychodynamic Perspective

Are psychodynamic perspectives relevant in community intervention? Historically, community psychologists have influenced a shift away from traditional psychology's emphasis on the individual toward a more social justice and population-oriented paradigm. This shift away from the former emphasis on the individual has included a shying away from psychodynamic theories of individual psychological processes. In this article, we demonstrate the utility of psychodynamic perspectives in understanding the interpersonal dynamics inherent in community intervention. Specifically, we examine the roles of motivation, affect, transference, and countertransference in establishing working relationships between community collaborators and community members.