Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) is brief therapy for depression that is usually carried out over 16 sessions. It helps you look at your presenting problem and what is happening in your relationships. The therapy will also look at beliefs, feelings, wishes and thoughts, not just your own but also how you think about these in others.
What to expect from DIT
In DIT we aim to help you understand;
- The link between your current situation and what is happening in your relationships;
- To think about what is going on in your mind.
Working together to find this link, you may then be able to make changes in the relationships that might be contributing to your current problem. Your therapist will be there to guide and help you to reflect on how you think and feel.
DIT can be a challenging therapy which requires a commitment from you to attend the sessions and work with the therapist, as well as reflecting between sessions. You will also need the determination to stick with it when things get tough.
DIT aims to develop an understanding of the connection between your past and present patterns of relating to people and how that impacts upon your current problems. It is a psychodynamic therapy which means it is based on theories which help patients resolve their problems by increasing awareness of their inner world and its influence over relationships, both past and present.
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Together we will develop an understanding of yourself and others. We will help you find alternative ways of relating and coping with difficult relationships.
What will I be doing during sessions?
The therapy is broken down into three parts;
- Firstly we explore your presenting symptoms, current situation, relationships and past experiences. We will work together to identify the patterns of your thinking that you would like to focus on. The therapy is concerned with what is happening now, so although we will talk about past experiences they won’t be the focus of the therapy.
- The next phase allows us to work through the ‘thinking patterns’ we identified in phase 1. We will look at trying new ways of managing relationships. Between sessions you will need to think about ways you could make changes in your daily life to get the best from this therapy.
- The last phase is focussed on helping you explore your experience and prepare for the future by thinking about potential future difficulties. The final sessions may also include discussions about how you can use what you have learnt to continue with the progress you have made.
Take a look at other types of therapy available