Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is a short-term time-limited therapy that focuses on improving an individual’s personal relationships and addressing the links between mood and communication with others. It’s a structured method that’s proven effective for a variety of mood disorders including depression. IPT was developed as a treatment for depression but it has also been adapted for use with other disorders, including bipolar depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, bulimia and an array of other psychiatric conditions.
In this blog post, we’ll delve into what IPT is, how it works and what an IPT session might look like for a client.
IPT: The Basics
IPT starts with the premise that meaningful interpersonal relationships can significantly shape our emotional experiences. It aims to help people examine and improve their naturally occurring relationships in order to bring about symptom relief and improved well-being. Generally IPT is a 12-16 week treatment.
The therapy has four focal areas which include grief, interpersonal role disputes (conflict with expectations of one’s social role), role transitions (life changes that can cause or result from changes in social relationships) and interpersonal deficits (difficulties that make it hard to form or maintain relationships). The IPT therapist helps the client to identify and work through the area of most concern.
How does IPT Work?
The therapist will use specific techniques to help the client address their interpersonal difficulties. These techniques might include teaching effective communication skills, providing information about depression and role-playing to practice new skills. The therapist will encourage the client to examine their relationships and find connections between their mood and how they interact with others.
A key feature of IPT is that it provides structure. Each session has a clear agenda and sessions are organized around the problem area of focus for that week.
The first session will entail an assessment where the therapist and the client will explore the client’s personal history including their current social and psychological functioning. They will identify the problem area or areas to focus on during the treatment.
In the following sessions, the therapist and client work systematically through the interpersonal problem area, considering the following questions:
- What is the relationship between these interpersonal problems and the client’s symptoms
- What can be done to improve these relationships and thereby alleviate the client’s symptoms?
The therapist might assign homework between sessions, such as practicing a new communication skill with a family member or friend.
Let’s walk through an example of how IPT might help a client, Sarah. Sarah has been feeling down for several months. She used to see her friends all the time, but lately, she’s been avoiding them. Her therapist suspects that changes in her friendships might be related to her low mood. The goal of their IPT sessions might be to help Sarah reconnect with her social support system.
Session One
In the initial session, the therapist would explore Sarah’s symptoms and recent life events. They would likely identify that Sarah has withdrawn from her friends because she doesn’t feel like “herself” and doesn’t want her friends to see her like this.
Session Two
In the second session, the therapist would help Sarah process through this subject further. Sarah and her therapist would talk about Sarah’s friendships and determine where the difficulties lie.
Midway Check-In
Around the midpoint of their therapy, Sarah might report that she reached out to one of her friends and had a good time. She felt better afterward, but the dull feeling came back later. This would be a sign of progress.
Final Sessions
Towards the end of her treatment, Sarah might role-play with her therapist to practice keeping plans with her friends even when she’s not feeling great. The therapist might also collaborate with Sarah to make a list of coping strategies to use when she’s feeling low in a social setting.
By the end of their sessions, Sarah should better understand the connection between interactions with her friends and her mood. She should also have strategies in place to maintain those connections, further maintaining her improved mood after therapy.
The Transformative Impact
IPT focuses on the here and now, aiming to bring about changes relatively quickly by specifically targeting how one interacts with the world.
The transformative impact of IPT can mean the difference between living with a mood disorder and living life fully and richly. By recognizing how interpersonal relationships influence one’s mental health, IPT empowers individuals to make positive changes in their social interactions, ultimately leading to a healthier emotional state.
This structured approach to therapy has been found to be particularly effective for clients who are facing depression and other mood disorders which have an interpersonal component to their presentation. For those seeking therapy, understanding the method and envisioning what it might look like can provide confidence in the process ahead.
If you or someone you know might benefit from understanding and addressing how relationships are affecting emotional well-being, the principles of IPT could offer a promising path to healing and resilience. An IPT therapist may hold the key to unlocking healthier, more sustainable relationships with oneself and others, fostering a brighter, more fulfilling life journey.
If you have any questions or would like to explore further, please book a free, no-charge online appointment with either myself, Maycee Dias, BSc (Hons), MSW, RSW, or another Kitchener psychotherapist at CARESPACE. We are happy to listen and are here to help!
