What Is Interpersonal Therapy?

Human beings are social creatures, and much of a person’s well-being and sense of safety in the world can be traced to the health, or lack thereof, of their relationships. When someone does not know how to communicate with others or set healthy boundaries and enforce them, they can experience distress and even trigger mental health disorder symptoms when conflict arises. People in recovery from addiction can also benefit from learning interpersonal communication tools. Patients with mental health or substance use disorders and their loved ones often need guidance from a qualified therapist on navigating their relationships and dealings with others. Regularly attending pre-scheduled interpersonal therapy sessions can meet this crucial need in at-risk patients.

What is interpersonal psychotherapy?

Relationships and social functioning are often a source of significant stress in mental health and substance use disorder patients. Interpersonal psychotherapy, or IPT, focuses on treating a specific issue in the patient’s life related to interpersonal relationships and social functioning. A trained therapist in interpersonal techniques sets goals for their patients to resolve issues in four critical areas.

• Interpersonal Deficits
• Unresolved Grief
• Life Transitions
• Disputes and Disagreements

This therapy area relates to a patient’s tendency to isolate or withdraw from society or their involvement with a toxic or unfulfilling relationship.

Who can benefit from IPT?

Initially, the therapy was used to treat major depressive disorder. But it is also highly effective for other mental health conditions and drug or alcohol addiction. IPT is different from other talk therapies, such as CBT or DBT. These therapies focus on the patient’s inner thoughts and responses to stress. IPT instead focuses on how to address interpersonal conflict and communication issues that happen in relationships where mental health disorders or drug addiction are present. Studies have found that IPT is as effective as CBT or DBT. The use of IPT versus CBT or DBT is dependent on the patient’s individual needs and preferences.

If you or a loved one are struggling with drug addiction and mental health disorder symptoms, it’s never too late to seek help from an experienced team of clinicians and therapists. The doctors and counselors at California Prime Recovery are experienced with various therapy techniques that effectively alleviate the distressing symptoms of mental health disorders and substance abuse. Please contact California Prime Recovery today to explore your options for treatment.

The facilities at California Prime Recovery are staffed with trained experts to best assist patients with their mental health issues. We can deal with all cases with licensed staff, equipment, and approved techniques. Our mission is to help those who want to help themselves, and we support your decision to seek help.