Three important clinical processes in individual and group interpersonal psychotherapy sessions.

Abstract

I describe three clinical processes: (a) bringing the discussion into the here-and-now; (b) making impact disclosures; and (c) creating a corrective emotional experience, derived from interpersonal theory, that occurs in most of my individual and group therapy sessions. For each of these clinical processes, I provide: (a) the theoretical principals that support the clinical process, (b) clinical descriptions and dialogue that demonstrate the process, and (c) a review of some of the research examining the clinical process. Finally, I propose a task model of interpersonal therapy, which illustrates how the three clinical processes come together in interpersonal therapy.