Interpersonal Therapy in London

Does conflict with those around you constantly throw you into a low mood? And wish you could handle what life brings with more confidence and ease? Interpersonal therapy might be for you.  

What is interpersonal psychotherapy?

Interpersonal therapy, or “IPT”, is a short-term therapy that believes that there is a strong connection between our low moods and our relationships.

By recognising the problems we have with relating, and learning to navigate changes in our social environments better, our moods can improve.  

How is IPT therapy different to other talk therapies?

Again, it strongly focuses on social interactions, and how you are affected by and affect others. This also means it looks at external factors, at what is going on around you, for the solution to your issues, while other therapies can look within, to your thinking and unresolved past issues. 

Like CBT therapy, IPT is time-limited and focuses on the present, looking at recent life challenges. IPT psychotherapy differs from CBT in that it is not as strutured, and has a stronger focus on your relationship with your therapist, which is warm and supportive. 

The benefits of interpersonal therapy 

Working with an IPT therapist can mean you: 

• understand and communicate your feelings and needs better
• feel more emotionally balanced
• trust yourself and others more 
• build and sustain a better social support system 
• feel more confidence and self-esteem
• are more resilient in the face of challenges and upsets
• know how to find solutions to relationship issues.

IPT Therapists at Harley Therapy™, London

We make choosing a therapist easier by only providing expert, highly rated psychotherapists and counselling psychologists who are trained at top institutions and have at minimum ten years of experience.

Our offices are located on Harley Street, at London Bridge, and in East London near Liverpool Street station, and some IPT therapists also offer sessions online. Call us now or use our online booking form to get started. 

Interpersonal therapy for depression 

Interpersonal therapy was originally created as a quick intervention for depression. It is currently offered by the NHS if your depression is severe and hasn’t responded to treatments like CBT, and is recommended for depression by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence). 

Research has found ITP useful for a wide age range, such as helping adolescents with depression and anger¹, and helping the elderly with low moods caused by life changes².

What issues can ITP treatment help with? 

As well as depression, interpersonal therapy is suggested for:

• anxiety
• bipolar disorder
• eating disorders
• family issues 
• life change (divorce, retirement, moving country) 
• loneliness
• grief and bereavment
• midlife crisis 
• post-natal depression 
• post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• relationship problems 
• social phobias.

How many sessions will I need?

As a short-term therapy, you will generally work with your therapist for between 12 to 16 weeks. This can be discussed and decided on in your first session. 

FOOTNOTES

*¹Miller L, Hlastala SA, Mufson L, Leibenluft E, Riddle M. Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents With Mood and Behavior Dysregulation: Evidence-Based Case Study. Evid Based Pract Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2016;1(4):159-175. doi:10.1080/23794925.2016.1247679 

²Hinrichsen, G.A. (1999), Treating older adults with interpersonal psychotherapy for depression. J. Clin. Psychol., 55: 949-960. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199908)55:8<949::AID-JCLP4>3.0.CO;2-S .

View the Experts

Interpersonal therapy can help with:

• anxiety & depression
• bipolar disorder
• eating disorders
• family issues 
• grief and bereavment
• intimacy issues
• life change (divorce, retirement, midlife crisis) 
• loneliness
• post-natal depression 
• post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• relationship problems 
• social phobias.