Brief Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy: A Clinician's Guide

by Alessandra Lemma, Mary Target, Peter Fonagy

Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) is a brief psychodynamic psychotherapy developed for the treatment of mood disorders. It is being rolled out as part of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) initiative as the psychodynamic model for the treatment of depression.

This book is a user-friendly, practical guide for the implementation of a brief psychodynamic intervention in routine clinical practice as well as in research protocols. It sets out clearly the theoretical framework, as well as the rationale and strategies for applying DIT with patients presenting with mood disorders (depression and anxiety). Throughout, it is illustrated with detailed examples that help the reader to implement the approach in their practice.

The book will be required reading to support the national IAPT training initiative, as well as providing a resource for mental health professionals specialising in psychodynamic psychotherapy and wishing to work within a limited time frame.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 16, 2011

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing therapy guide for implementation of brief dynamic interpersonal therapy. This guide focuses on clients’ relationships and how they contribute to depression and anxiety. These relationships include the clients'’ past relationships with caregivers, their current relationships with those around them, and their ongoing relationship with their therapist. As someone who is relationally-oriented both in my therapy practice and in life, I loved how this book leaned into such in-depth examinations of relational functioning as it relates to clients’ depression and anxiety symptoms. They build up from initial attachment theory (e.g., internal working model, John Bowlby’s research) to several thorough case examples. The case examples in this book are rich and intriguing without losing therapeutic realism; I felt compelled by each example and the analysis about each example felt intelligent and understandable. Finally, I loved the section on therapy ending and how that stirs up relational dynamics. This section on therapeutic endings felt like one of the most thorough and compelling I have ever read, and it made me reflect on and process more deeply when I had to say goodbye to my beloved therapist who I saw throughout my undergraduate years.

A couple small constructive critiques: the book begins with a summation and analysis of the research support for brief dynamic interpersonal therapy and related therapies, which may drag for readers who are not that interested in research studies. While examining the research support for a certain type of treatment is important, I wonder if there’s a way to make research more exciting. Also, I wish the book delved more into how oppression and intersectionality influence relational functioning. While the book acknowledges the role of culture, it did not go deep at all into the influence of systemic power and privilege (see this article for the importance of therapists being trained and knowledgeable about those things). I hope that therapists and others who read this book educate themselves and acknowledge how racism, homophobia, sexism, and additional forces of oppression can affect relational functioning, as well as understand ways we can harness clients’ strengths to intervene.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mycket bra. Kompakt och konkret. Gillade deras exempelvinjetter.

Bra insyn och grund och till dynamisk interpersonell terapi. Rekommenderar

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My boyfriend runs marathons and as a part of his training he sometimes runs short intervals at high speed. This interval training increases his overall condition making it easier for him to do his long distance races.

Reading this book, I felt as if training in DIT would help me not only to be able to offer brief therapies effectively, but also to be better at my long term therapies; just like my boyfriend's interval trainings help him do better in long races.

The book goes over not just what is specifically relevant to DIT but also what is common to all psychodynamic therapies, so in reading it I was also reminded of all sorts of important things that we therapists need to be reminded of once in a while, so as to keep us on track.

The IPAF (InterPersonal Affective Focus) is the cornerstone of this therapeutic modality and I have found it incredibly helpful in understanding all of my patients and in more helpfully communicating with them about what I think is happening to them.

I now have the privilege of being able to work long term with my patients but this book/modality would have been a treasure to me when I was working in public health and was only able to offer 5-15 sessions to my patients.