Introduction to Interpersonal and Social Rhythms Therapy (IPSRT)

IPSRT was developed predominately for the treatment of bipolar depressive disorders with some utility for unipolar depressive disorders. If you have been diagnosed as such or believe you could be, perhaps you struggle with social relationships and maintaining stable routines. This is common. Significant research has shown that addressing these areas with therapy can mitigate, if not remit, a majority of symptoms, especially when also taking a mood-stabilizing medication. (Please see a physician or psychiatrist regarding medication as I am not a prescriber.)

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) and Social Rhythms Therapy (SRT) each constitute half of IPSRT.

IPT has been verified as effective for numerous conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, aspects of trauma, and non-clinical relationship challenges). It emphasizes social roles, life stages, and losses of both people and opportunities. SRT, though newer, is a repackaging of long-known information about sleep-wake cycles, the value of sunlight, dietary consistency, and behavioral activity scheduling. It is the way in which these two therapies are combined that makes it particularly valuable for depression.

Still, everyone deals with relationships and self-scheduling regardless of why you came into therapy. If a client and I feel an aspect of IPSRT could be beneficial to them, there are no issues in borrowing a session or two’s worth of IPSRT content and applying it to their needs. Even for clients for whom the entire paradigm is appropriate, the flexibility of IPSRT allows us to deviate at times to address concerns not adequately covered by IPSRT alone.

What to expect from IPT & SRT:

IPT:

·        Identifying types and changes in social relationships (i.e., roles, transitions, losses, disputes, and deficits)

·        Tracking mood and depressive symptoms daily (if applicable)

·        Analyzing communication patterns and strategies

SRT:

·        Noting social stressors and lifestyle cues that affect your homeostatic and circadian rhythms

·        Tracking routine behaviors daily (i.e., sleeping, eating, social contact, and working)

·        Establishing and maintaining routine (i.e., routines behaviors should generally start and end at the same time every day)