When depression takes hold, it can affect more than just mood or motivation, it can quietly reshape the way you relate to yourself and to the people around you. The connections we have, and the ones that feel harder to make or maintain, can have a powerful impact on how we feel day to day. 

Whether you are navigating a life transition such as a breakup, where a familiar role or identity has shifted, feeling stuck in ongoing conflict with someone close to you and unsure how to change it, or finding it increasingly difficult to connect with others and drifting into isolation, these experiences can start to feel repetitive and unchanging. 

Over time, it can seem as though you’re caught in patterns that are hard to break, even when part of you wants things to feel different. As humans, we are wired for connection. When our relationships feel strained, lost or out of reach, it can contribute to depression and leave us feeling increasingly alone.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is a structured, evidence-based approach that focuses on the connection between mood and relationships/our interpersonal world. The aim of the treatment is to reduce depression and improve or develop more meaningful connections. 

IPT is a time-limited treatment, typically delivered over 16 weekly sessions. The therapy is divided into three phases: An initial phase (sessions 1–4): where we develop an understanding of your difficulties and identify a specific interpersonal focus. A middle phase (sessions 5–12): where we work actively to create change. An ending phase (sessions 13–16): where we consolidate progress, discuss relapse prevention, and prepare for the end of therapy.

In the initial phase of treatment, we will collaboratively identify a specific focus area from one of the following four IPT problem areas:

Role transitions: finding it difficult to adapt to major life changes or shifts in identity, such as a breakup, job change, becoming a parent, or other changes in your role or circumstances.

Difficulties in relationships: ongoing tension or misunderstandings with someone close to you, where things feel stuck, unresolved, or hard to talk through.

Feeling disconnected or isolated: finding it hard to form or maintain close relationships, or feeling increasingly alone even when you want more connection.

Grief: struggling to adjust after losing someone important, where the sadness feels ongoing or difficult to move through.

By strengthening connections and addressing interpersonal challenges, IPT helps reduce depression and support lasting emotional wellbeing by strengthening your connection with yourself and others - something that lies at the heart of what most of us need to thrive.

If IPT is something you’re interested in, and you feel your experience of depression may be linked to your relationships or interpersonal difficulties, you’re welcome to get in touch for an initial assessment.

This will give us an opportunity to assess your symptoms of depression, explore your current situation, consider whether IPT is an appropriate treatment for you and talk through the approach in a bit more detail.