Contemporary Forms of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (2)

Interpersonal Therapy (harquel)

It is a structured and time-limited psychotherapy that focuses on interpersonal
relationships and communication. It addresses current problems and relationships
rather than childhood or developmental issues. Interpersonal therapy aims to improve
interpersonal functioning and social support.

(IPT is most often used during the acute phase of major depression, but it can also be
provided as a maintenance treatment to help prevent relapse and recurrence of illness.
It is also used to treat:

​ anxiety
​ bulimia nervosa
​ chronic fatigue
​ mood disorders such as bipolar and dysthymic disorders.)

How does Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)​work?

A central idea in IPT is that psychological symptoms can be understood as a response
to current difficulties in everyday relationships with other people.

IPT focuses on four areas:

● Grief
○ Depression can occur as a result of the loss of a loved one, and a major
loss can also result in unresolved grief.
● Role Dispute
○ (Role disputes occur when you and the significant people in your life have
different expectations about your relationship. The disconnect between
expectations and real-life behavior can cause feelings of depression.
● Role Transition
○ Depression may occur during life transitions when your role changes and
you don't know how to cope with that change.
● Interpersonal Deficits
○ If you find it difficult to form and maintain good-quality relationships

The structure of IPT

The opening sessions (1-3) focus on collecting information and making decisions
about the focus of therapy. (The therapist helps the patient create a list of all the key
relationships in the patient’s life (interpersonal inventory).)

In the middle sessions (4 – 14), the patient concentrates on trying to improve the
chosen problem area or areas with the support of the therapist (The patient and
therapist work to develop solutions to the problems, and the patient tries to implement
the solutions between sessions.)

The final sessions (15 – 16) focus on dealing with any sense of loss associated with
the end of therapy as well as reviewing the issues that were identified in the
interpersonal inventory and the progress made in dealing with them.

Benefits of Interpersonal Therapy

Improved relationships: IPT can help patients understand how their relationships
affect their life. The goal is two-fold: to help patients function better socially and to
reduce their feelings of depression.

Decreased depression: This form of psychotherapy is based on the notion that

depression occurs in the context of relationships. In other words, your relationships can
potentially increase or decrease your depression, and feeling depressed can impact
your relationships. As such, the goal of IPT is to relieve your depressive symptoms by
improving the way you interact with others

Time-limited dynamic Psychotherapy (john)

Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy (TLDP) is a form of brief psychodynamic therapy

that is based on the principles of attachment theory and relational psychoanalysis. It is a
time-limited treatment approach that typically lasts between 12-16 sessions, with each
session lasting approximately 50 minutes.

Time Session:

As the name suggests, Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy (TLDP) is a time-limited

therapy approach. Typically, a TLDP treatment course consists of 12-16 weekly
sessions, with each session lasting around 50 minutes. This time frame is considered
sufficient for most clients to achieve their treatment goals.

The time limitation in TLDP is intentional, as it helps to create a sense of urgency and
focus for both the client and therapist. It also allows for a clear endpoint to be
established, which can be helpful for clients who may be hesitant about entering into
open-ended therapy.

That said, the length of treatment may vary depending on the individual needs of each
client. In some cases, additional sessions may be needed to achieve the desired
outcomes, while in others, clients may achieve their goals in fewer sessions than the
typical 12-16 session course. Ultimately, the length of TLDP treatment will depend on a
variety of factors, including the nature and severity of the client's presenting problems,
their motivation for change, and their overall progress throughout the therapy process.
Goals:

The goal of TLDP is to help clients identify and change their maladaptive patterns of
thinking, feeling, and behaving by exploring their past experiences and current
interpersonal relationships. The therapist focuses on the client's defensive patterns,
including avoidance, denial, and resistance, and helps the client to identify and modify
them.

The therapist also works to establish a strong therapeutic alliance with the client,
emphasizing the importance of the therapeutic relationship in facilitating change. The
therapist helps the client to identify patterns of relating to others that may be
contributing to their current difficulties and supports them in developing new ways of
relating that are more adaptive and effective.

Overall, TLDP is an effective treatment approach for a wide range of mental health
conditions, including anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and personality disorders.
It is particularly useful for clients who are motivated to make changes in their lives and
who have limited time and resources available for therapy.