What is IPT?
IPT really acknowledges the impact that significant life events or difficulties with relationships have on our mood. It has a lot of research demonstrating its effectiveness and so is one of the main therapies recommended for depression in the NHS.
IPT is based on the idea that depression is often linked to life situations and the quality of our relationships. If we can improve our relationships we improve our mood. A big part of IPT is therefore introducing greater understanding of your relationships and improving your interpersonal skills. We choose one of four paths for the therapy; grief, role conflict, difficulties with relationships or adjustment to a big change in life.
IPT is different from many other therapies in that it takes away the pressure that we should be solving all our issues on our own! Part of the work is to consider what support you have from others and how this can be strengthened. Reaching out to others can be scary for many people so often this can be a goal to work towards in its own right.
What Does it Involve?
IPT is a structured therapy. It consists of 16 sessions with three distinct phases; assessment, middle and end.
Although it may acknowledge influences of the past IPT stays focused on your current symptoms. If the focus is grief tasks include reflecting on the events of the passing as well as what that means for your life. If the focus is difficulties with relationships or a specific conflict we may break down specific examples of communication or identify patterns and what a healthier relationship would look like.
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Max’s Story
Max had always struggled with relationships. He came to therapy as he felt familiar patterns playing out in a new relationship and did not want this to ruin things again. He felt himself pulling away which was a frequent cause of arguments.
In therapy Max looked at examples of communication in arguments. He looked at his past history of relationships and tried making small changes. He even brought his partner to one of the sessions. Max saw the difference in how scenarios played out with his partner. This massively improved how he felt about himself and his mood.