Interpersonal psychotherapy

Domain I · Psychodynamic & depth psychology · Klerman, Weissman · 1970

What it is

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is a time-limited, diagnosis-focused, manualised therapy. Klerman, Weissman and colleagues developed it in the 1970s, and its first manual appeared in 1984. Its core idea is that, whatever causes depression, the illness begins and persists within the patient's…

Format

• Format. The standard format is individual, weekly, 45–50-minute sessions, 12–16 in total. An 8-session brief format has also been tested. The number of sessions can vary, but the therapist sets a "discrete time frame" at the start and keeps to it. IPT can be combined with antidepressant medication.
• Phase 1: Initial (about sessions 1–3)

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• Training. The International Society of IPT (ISIPT) certifies therapists. Requirements:
• At least 16 hours of introductory IPT training

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• How do you and the practitioner understand what is happening, in spiritual or cultural terms? Is that a source of comfort, worry, or both?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• Requests to leave the end date open. Keep it fixed (see section 5).
• Over-directing, which undermines the patient's sense of competence.
• The patient taking non-response as further proof of personal failure.
• Side effects being misread as depressive symptoms, and divided adherence.
• Deciding without the patient. Choosing a focus the patient experiences as blaming them.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.