There are many forms of therapy that can treat depression, and interpersonal therapy is one of them. In this post, we’ll look at what interpersonal therapy is, and its uses.
What is Interpersonal Therapy?
Interpersonal therapy looks at the client’s personal relationships. Not only does a therapist look at close relationships, such as friends and family, but also looks at any other relationships the client may have, such as those in the workplace.
Sometimes, depression is due to a mental disorder. A chemical imbalance in your brain can cause depression and make you feel depressed even if things are going well for you. Other times, however, depression can be caused by an external situation, such as the people you talk to. Someone in your life can be causing you depression, and you may not even realize it. Interpersonal therapy strives to improve the relationships you have with others by focusing on communication.
Interpersonal Therapy Techniques
Interpersonal therapy employs several different techniques, three of which are identified and explained here.
Emotional Identification
This is when the therapist helps their client figure out what emotion they’re experiencing. Sometimes, depression may be a result of anger or envy. Then, the therapist looks for the source of the emotion.
Say you are having problems with your spouse. If you’re always getting into fights, you may assume that the emotion is anger. However, through interpersonal therapy, you may realize that the emotion you truly feel is neglect. Your spouse is no longer communicating as much with you because they may be experiencing difficulties of their own that you are unaware of, and your anger comes from a perceived neglect.
Emotion Expression
Now that you know the source of your emotion, you need to learn how to communicate what you are feeling in a better, healthier manner. If you’re having issues with your spouse, the therapist will look at the conversations you have and teach you how to respond in a more productive way. Instead of being angry, the therapist will teach you how to express your emotions in a calm, caring manner.
Emotional Baggage
An interpersonal therapist will look at your current relationships, but also at your past relationships as well, as they can affect how you act in the present. Your anger towards your spouse may come from something that happened in the past, such as your parents mistreating you. The therapist will then teach you how to move on from the past and look to and deal with the future.
Interpersonal therapy can be used for more than just depression. It can be a form of marriage counseling as well. Many couples divorce because of miscommunication, and interpersonal therapy can figure out why the miscommunication is happening and how to fix it.
Interpersonal therapy is good for improving your relationship skills in general. People who are socially awkward may have trouble communicating, and interpersonal therapy can help improve expressing your thoughts and feelings. It can also help you identify any reasons why you may have communication issues as well.
Interpersonal therapy can be done in person, but it can be done through online therapy as well. Online therapy can be a good way to help deal with your communication issues on the spot. If you’re having trouble talking to someone, an online therapist can tell you what you can do to improve communication, and you can apply that to your relationships.
