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Interpersonal Therapy Program

Interpersonal Therapy Program

Effective communication is so important in our lives. It can open up new opportunities. It can bolster relationships with friends and family. It can help you express your feelings in a healthy and productive way. There are drawbacks to not having the right communication skills. You could feel alienated from your loved ones or like you are being ignored. You may feel extra sensitive about interpersonal relationships.  

Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is one way Vogue Recovery Center helps people treat addiction. It also works to improve your communication skills. Interpersonal therapy is safe and effective when overseen by behavioral health experts. Vogue Recovery Center’s interpersonal therapy program offers those in Nevada, Arizona, and California a chance to communicate in a more effective way with the people they care about. Our treatment team offers different types of therapy to improve all aspects of your mental health. 

What Is Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)?

IPT is a form of psychotherapy that looks at relationships between people. It examines the ways relationships affect an individual’s mental health. It can be used to treat:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Eating disorders
  • Addiction
  • Other mental illnesses
Interpersonal Therapy Program

IPT helps you understand and manage feelings related to your past experiences. It was created by Myrna Weissman, John C. Markowitz, and Gerald Klerman during the 1970s and is a proven effective therapy technique using psychotherapy principles and applications. The authors’ book, Guide to Interpersonal Therapy, outlines how interpersonal therapy was first used as a treatment for major depression. However, it developed into a technique for addressing interpersonal skills.

Interpersonal therapy for depression tends to be quicker than other forms of therapy. Clients engage in 12 to 16 sessions with a therapist. The therapist may look at your relationships to identify problems. This includes current and past relationships. And they use techniques like active listening and cognitive restructuring to help you understand how relationships shape emotions. IPT aims to help you develop better communication skills to cope with triggers and for stress management. Interpersonal therapy can also help reduce symptoms of depression and other mental illnesses.

Who Can Benefit from IPT?

Anyone can benefit from interpersonal therapy. IPT can help adults, children, and adolescents. Data from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders shows that communication skills develop within someone’s first three years of life. You may have the physical tools needed to communicate but not necessarily the skills to do it effectively. Communication is something that can always improve. Listening, speaking, non-verbal cues, and more are all skills that need to be practiced and perfected. IPT helps you sharpen these skills to function at a higher level in society and reduce feelings of loneliness and depressive symptoms.

IPT can help reduce negative thoughts, strengthen interpersonal relationships, and create better communication between individuals. It is especially helpful for those who are dealing with life changes or adjusting to new circumstances. IPT helps people develop healthier ways of relating to others and coping with difficult situations in their lives. It can improve problem-solving skills so you can make more informed decisions in the future. People who are struggling with substance abuse or addiction may also benefit from IPT as it helps them identify triggers and better understand why they feel overwhelmed by certain feelings or situations.

IPT When Combined with Other Therapies

IPT techniques are not used to address past trauma. That’s why interpersonal therapy is often used in conjunction with other treatment programs and therapies. Treatments like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are used to address past trauma and change behaviors. They’re often used in treating substance abuse disorders and conditions like bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. Interpersonal psychotherapy teaches you how to express your emotion to others. When combined, these treatments offer a comprehensive recovery plan. You can identify your trauma and use your newfound communication skills to express yourself at a higher level of thinking. That leads to healthier choices and a more fulfilling life.

How Does Interpersonal Therapy Fit into Addiction Treatment?

IPT is often used alongside drug and alcohol abuse treatment. Someone who struggles to communicate may turn to substance abuse. Feelings of frustration, anger, or depression can arise when a conversation or situation is difficult. Those may trigger you to turn to drinking or drug abuse to relieve unpleasant feelings and thoughts. But using substances to self-medicate is dangerous. It carries the risk of addiction in the future.

When you enter a recovery program, a clinician will assess your situation and determine what therapies and treatments are best suited to help you recover. IPT is a form of individual therapy prescribed by a clinician. It is conducted between a client and their therapist. It can be utilized during all levels of care, from inpatient treatment to outpatient rehab and aftercare. IPT is not right for everyone. Only an addiction treatment counselor can identify if it is a good fit for your recovery.

There are many benefits to undergoing IPT and learning new ways of communicating. Getting assistance for a lack of communication skills can help you:

  • Find healthier outlets to relieve stress
  • Fight depression
  • Teach you to express yourself in a productive way
  • Reduce the interpersonal deficit you may feel
  • Improve your mental health condition

Dual Diagnosis and Interpersonal Therapy

Dual diagnosis involves diagnosing an individual with more than one primary psychiatric disorder at the same time, like a mood disorder and a substance use disorder. This can be especially challenging to treat because the disorders are intertwined and can feed off of one another, ultimately leading to worsening symptoms for both issues.

IPT can provide an effective form of therapy for people living with both a substance use disorder and another mental health condition. The isolation and depression that comes with a mood disorder can lead someone to abuse drugs and alcohol. IPT reduces those feelings of loneliness and sadness so you may not feel the need to self medicate. Living a happy life makes it easier to say no to substances.

Interpersonal Therapy at Vogue Recovery Center

Vogue Recovery Center is here to help with interpersonal therapy. The team of therapists tailors treatment to the needs of each individual. Behavioral therapy is just one of the types of therapy offered at Vogue. Someone experiencing issues like major depression or any depressive episode, an eating disorder, a relationship issue, mood disorders, postpartum depression, bipolar disorder, social anxiety, or any anxiety disorder may find interpersonal psychotherapy helpful. It can also be helpful when someone deals with a substance use disorder and any of the above mental health issues. In treating both co-occurring issues, someone can address the underlying causes of their addiction and learn to live a life free from these debilitating issues.  Improving mental health is a key component of ending addiction. IPT is one way to stabilize issues with mental health and move on to a brighter future.

Improving interpersonal skills can help with a role dispute and other interpersonal issues that hold communication back. IPT therapists are on hand at Vogue’s treatment centers around the clock to help you. Call today and learn more about our effective treatment and therapy options.  

Kelsey Jones

Medically Reviewed by Kelsey Jones, MS, LPC

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