Interpersonal therapy
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) is a time limited therapy that focuses on the interpersonal or relationship factors that may be contributors to a person's emotional distress. In this way IPT specifically focuses on understanding a person's past & present relationship history to identify problem areas & goals for treatment.
There are four main problem areas identified by IPT:
Grief:
This refers to a "complicated bereavement" where an individual is struggling to accept & adjust to the loss of a loved one. IPT aims to assist this process by helping the individual to feel the pain of the loss & adjust to life without the deceased individual.
Interpersonal disputes:
This refers to unresolved conflicts resulting from domestic violence, verbal abuse, infidelity, conflicting loyalties, unmet expectations and other types of relationship conflict. IPT aims to assist the individual to find effective ways of resolving such conflicts via the acquisition of realistic expectations, problem solving & communication skills.
Role transitions:
This refers to distress that is experienced as a consequence of changing roles in a person's life. This may include the loss of a job due to retirement or redundancy; the loss of a spouse due to separation or divorce, the loss of physical functioning due to injury or illness. IPT aims to help the individual to accept the loss of the "old role" & accept the challenges of the "new role" by realistically appraising both & developing the skills needed to move forward.
Interpersonal sensitivity:
This relates to persistent problems a person may experience in forming & maintaining relationships in both their personal & working lives that result in loneliness, social isolation & rejection. IPT helps to specify these difficulties via an analysis of past & present relationship struggles; identifying patterns & recurring themes e.g. difficulty trusting, lack of assertiveness; aggressiveness; not sharing feelings; over sharing of feelings etc; & learning strategies to remedy these problems.
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For further information on IPT
There are four main problem areas identified by IPT:
Grief:
This refers to a "complicated bereavement" where an individual is struggling to accept & adjust to the loss of a loved one. IPT aims to assist this process by helping the individual to feel the pain of the loss & adjust to life without the deceased individual.
Interpersonal disputes:
This refers to unresolved conflicts resulting from domestic violence, verbal abuse, infidelity, conflicting loyalties, unmet expectations and other types of relationship conflict. IPT aims to assist the individual to find effective ways of resolving such conflicts via the acquisition of realistic expectations, problem solving & communication skills.
Role transitions:
This refers to distress that is experienced as a consequence of changing roles in a person's life. This may include the loss of a job due to retirement or redundancy; the loss of a spouse due to separation or divorce, the loss of physical functioning due to injury or illness. IPT aims to help the individual to accept the loss of the "old role" & accept the challenges of the "new role" by realistically appraising both & developing the skills needed to move forward.
Interpersonal sensitivity:
This relates to persistent problems a person may experience in forming & maintaining relationships in both their personal & working lives that result in loneliness, social isolation & rejection. IPT helps to specify these difficulties via an analysis of past & present relationship struggles; identifying patterns & recurring themes e.g. difficulty trusting, lack of assertiveness; aggressiveness; not sharing feelings; over sharing of feelings etc; & learning strategies to remedy these problems.
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For further information on IPT