Interpersonal therapy

A form of psychotherapy in which the focus is on a patient's relationships with peers and family members and the way they see themselves.

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is based on exploring issues in relationships with other people.

The goal is to help people to identify and modify interpersonal problems, to understand and to manage relationship problems.

In the first phase of IPT, the therapist and client identify which problems in the clients interpersonal relationships need exploration.

This phase is led by the therapist, who builds a 'history' of the client in order to help the client identify interpersonal problems.

The next phase is driven by the client; the therapist helps maintain focus and encourages change.

Finally, in the last phase, both the therapist and client explore what has been achieved and what has not, and focus on the future and what changes the client can make to promote continuing improvement.