discussion post main question week 7 interpersonal psychotherapy

Interpersonal psychotherapy approach has proven to be effective to practice if the skills, techniques, and interventions are utilized and practice. “In highlighting both the covert and overt levels of these relational phenomena and their reciprocity, the interpersonal approach also provides a framework for seamlessly integrating concepts and techniques associated with other treatment approaches to PDs” (Anchin, 1982a, 1982b, 2002; Pincus & Cain, 2008, p. 113. Para. 2). The Interpersonal therapy focuses on specific problem of the client and can reduce the symptoms and can create good relationships. It can enhance problem solving and increase communication skills needed to anchor relationships. These promote interpersonal awareness and learning, resulting in improved relational capacity and symptom reduction. The social learning processes promote both intrapersonal and interpersonal change and enhances communication skill (Anchin, 1982. p. 117. Para. 2).

Interpersonal Psychology approach to practice presents both benefits as well challenges. The benefits for using interpersonal psychology approach are that, it helps to identify problems expressed in emotions, learning skills to foster good rapport, and it focuses on specific problem areas that need to be addressed. It can assist to solve problems, conflicts, disputes thus improves the therapist’s skills of communication by addressing issues such as depression, anxiety, and be able administer treatment and symptoms for social adjustment for clients. The other benefits for interpersonal psychotherapy approach is that it strengthens relationships that can serve as support network for the benefit of the therapist. “Across all therapeutic modalities, nothing predicts good out come as reliably as the patient’s experience of the therapist as warm, caring, and genuine, and, thus, the patient’s experience of being seen, understood and helped,” (Safran, J. D., & Muran, J. C. (2000). Interpersonal Psychotherapy approach creates symbiotic relationship with the client if it is done with empathy and professionalism. It is a type of therapy structured model for treating of mental health issues which is timely in the process it improves the interpersonal relationships. It is a brief or a short-structured therapy that produce immediate results.

Interpersonal psychotherapy comes with some challenges and limitations that the therapist should be aware of. When you are with the client in the process of therapy, the therapist has to empathize with the client but sometimes the clients do not recognize one’s empathy. Instead they would attack you verbally. The therapist should be caring, non-judgmental, inspire hope, be able to repair ruptures and to find new ways that are better for the clients but sometimes the clients do not see the way out (American Psychological Association (Producer). (2009). Session 2 [Video segment]. The challenges and limitations for the therapists is to guide the clients it sometimes becomes surmountable. It can also enhance active and non-judgmental treatment that address depression, grief and anxiety disorder, bipolar and social phobia.

The cultures of the clients play importable roles in determining the types of therapy to administer. The challenges of the therapists with regards to cultures of their clients is to understand the cultures fully. Their belief systems, cultures, traditions, norms, ethics, religions, and family can be a big challenge to the therapists. Therefore, to contextualize the clients’ cultures may be challenging experience, (APA, 2009. Gender issues can be a challenge for the therapists. Some clients lean to certain sexual orientations and it becomes very hard to discuss gender disparities when they don’t believe in certain sextual orientations of other people that they love. Even if the therapist does not believe in certain sexual orientations, he/she should go beyond his/her belief systems. The therapist should create security for the clients, and sometimes it is challenging to convince the clients. In the same vein, the client in IPT must be willing to make some changes in their life for the therapy to be effective because the therapeutic process is considered to be client motivated and driven. It is client centered and with disparity of populations and cultural differences, to some cultures the IPT works perfect but to some cultures it does not.