Briefly describe how supportive and interpersonal psychotherapies are similar.
Both therapies are linked to substantial improvements among depressed patients. They can also be applied to different groups of patients suffering from depression such as young patients, seniors, and mothers. Both therapies also deal with problematic relationships, maladaptive behavioral patterns, and emotional reactions to improve adaptive functioning using problem-solving.
Explain at least three differences between these therapies. Include how these differences might impact your practice as a mental health counselor.
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The two therapies differ strikingly from each other. Interpersonal therapy, for instance, is short, structured, and uses a manual to address interpersonal problems among patients. The therapy focuses on affect and life events based on the principle that mental health is affected and influences itself by the psychosocial settings surrounding the patient (Barth et al., 2013). The therapy uses techniques such as role-playing and problem solving to help clients to understand their emotional reactions as they emerge in the context of their existing relationships (Roy-Byrne, 2015). Supportive therapy is a general therapy that uses different techniques such as normalization, rehearsal, praise, clarification, suggestions, and anticipation to enhance the supportive relationship between patients and therapists, promote the strengths and ability of the patient to benefit from environmental supports, decrease anguish and behavioral dysfunction, and enhance autonomy for treatment decisions of the patient (Barth et al., 2013).
The objective of interpersonal therapy is to assist patients address crises in their social environment or role functioning to improve their symptoms (Barth et al., 2013). The objective of supportive therapy is to stimulate patients to express their emotions and experiences and to provide empathy without teaching new skills and proposing solutions (Grover et al., 2020).
Interpersonal psychotherapy stresses the importance of the connection between social circumstances and mood in which it assists the patients to develop social support and social skills to promote adaptation to existing interpersonal situations and roles (Roy-Byrne, 2015). The emphasis of supportive psychotherapy is on reinforcing the coping mechanism of the patient through encouraging and advising the patient (Grover et al., 2020).
These differences might affect the practice of mental health counselors by providing a range of evidence-based therapies that can be used for treating various mental problems. For instance, the focus of interpersonal psychotherapy on interpersonal issues make it more useful for treating mental problems occurring in a social context since these problems can increase the risk of suffering from mental health issues such as depression. Examples of the risks include social isolation, complicated grief after a traumatic event, and conflicts with members of the social network. Supportive therapy is a general and frequently used modality in clinical practice that can be used to help patients express themselves.
Explain which therapeutic approach you might use with clients and why. Support your approach with evidence-based literature.
A suitable therapeutic approach that can be used with clients is the interpersonal psychotherapy. The therapy is suitable because of its consistent and singular focus on interpersonal issues. In contrast, supportive therapy uses different techniques simultaneously, which hinders its effectiveness. Additionally, the interpersonal psychotherapy modality is adaptable to most mental issues affecting people today (Frank et al., 2014). The modality has a limited focus on four possible interpersonal issues including grief, interpersonal deficits, life transitions, and disputes. In turn, this enables it to offer a framework for most therapeutic work. The therapist can alter it to address the needs of different patient groups. For instance, it can be used among pregnant and postpartum women to treat Peripartum and postpartum depression due to its focus on roles and relationships (Frank et al., 2014). It can also be used among older people with cognitive impairment to treat depression. Besides, it can be used to address recurrent depression among adults and can be modified to address a specific local population. Other mental issues that the therapy can address include anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other personality disorders. The therapy is also applicable to all age groups ranging from children, adolescents, and adults to older people.
References
Barth, J., Munder, T., Gerger, H., Nüesch, E., Trelle, S., Znoj, H., Jüni, P., & Cuijpers, P. (2013). Comparative Efficacy of Seven Psychotherapeutic Interventions for Patients with Depression: A Network Meta-Analysis. PLoS Medicine, 10(5), e1001454. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001454
Frank, E., Ritchey, F. C., & Levenson, J. C. (2014). Is Interpersonal Psychotherapy Infinitely Adaptable? A Compendium of the Multiple Modifications of IPT. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 68(4), 385–416. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.2014.68.4.385
Grover, S., Avasthi, A., & Jagiwala, M. (2020). Clinical Practice Guidelines for Practice of Supportive Psychotherapy. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 62(8), 173. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_768_19
Roy-Byrne, P. (2015). Improving Relationships in Trauma Victims: The Case for Interpersonal Psychotherapy and PTSD. American Journal of Psychiatry, 172(5), 403–405. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.15010099
