Interpersonal therapy (IPT)

What is interpersonal therapy?

Gerald Klerman and Myrna Weissman developed interpersonal therapy in the 1970s and 1980s. It rests on a simple idea. Your mood and your relationships affect each other. Improve one, and the other often follows.

Key things to know

IPT usually runs for 12 to 16 weekly sessions and focuses on 1 or 2 problem areas. These are grief, conflict with someone important, a big life change like a new job or becoming a parent, and loneliness or trouble forming close relationships.

• IPT is time-limited, often 12 to 16 sessions.
• It links your mood to what's happening in your relationships.
• Common focus areas are grief, conflict, life changes, and isolation.
• It has strong evidence for depression.
• It suits you if you'd like therapy that focuses on people more than thoughts.

What helps

IPT has strong evidence for depression, including in teenagers and around pregnancy. It's also been adapted for eating disorders and for groups. Fewer therapists are trained in IPT than in CBT, so ask directly whether a therapist offers it.

How SelfMind can help

SelfMind is an AI companion for everyday mental health support: a private place to talk through what you are feeling, in Hindi, English or Hinglish, at any hour. It is not therapy and not a crisis service; it works alongside professional care, never in place of it. You can try it free, no account needed.

Try a free chat

Related terms

• Depression (major depressive disorder)
• Psychotherapy (talk therapy)
• Grief
• Loneliness