Interpersonal Psychotherapy

If you feel isolated, misunderstood, or emotionally distant from people around you, interpersonal therapy can help. IPT tackles the issues surrounding your relationships to help you find a balance between taking care of yourself and managing the feelings of others. Dr. Zlatin Ivanov, a trusted board-certified psychiatrist, offers specialized Interpersonal Therapy in NYC and online, helping individuals build resilience, heal emotionally, and rediscover a sense of self.

What Is Interpersonal Therapy?

Interpersonal therapy is a form of talk therapy that focuses on interpersonal relationships and their impact on mental health disorders. Also known as interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), this form of therapy was originally developed as a time-limited approach to treating depression.

If you’re considering interpersonal therapy as a mental health treatment method, you need care from a practice with a history of excellence and experience. At Online Psychiatrists, you’ll find an top psychiatrist practicing in New York, New Jersey and Florida whose primary focus is getting your life back on track.

The symptoms of depression can affect your behaviors and impact personal relationships you’re your depression is triggered by:

• The death of a loved one
• The loss of a job
• Other upsetting experiences

During treatment with interpersonal therapy for depression, your psychotherapist creates a link between your troubling moods and disturbing life events. The goal of IPT is to overcome the disturbance while improving relationships and social skills. Interpersonal therapy for depression treats both major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder, known as dysthymic disorder, which is depression that lasts for years.

Patient Experience

How Does IPT Address Relationship Issues?

Treatment with IPT usually lasts 12 to 16 weeks. It can sometimes last longer, depending on how well you respond to it. During the sessions, you’re encouraged to consider your current relationships, particularly any tension with family members, work colleagues or community contacts. Your therapy assesses:

• How you managed your past and present relationships
• The behaviors you learned early in life regarding how to relate to others

Identifying patterns in your relationships — and the unexpressed emotions that keep you stuck —uncovers a focus for your treatment, which typically falls into one of four categories:

• Unresolved grief, difficulty coming to terms with a loss
• Interpersonal role dispute, disputes that occur when people have differing views on role expectations
• Interpersonal role transitions, changes in life that require new roles, such as divorce

How Does Interpersonal Therapy Work?

Treatment is structured to include homework between sessions. You also get a continual evaluation. The goals your doctor may set for you include:

• Identifying and trying to change patterns that lead to negative consequences
• Improving your communication skills
• Learning to express emotions in healthy ways
• Understanding your reactions and how they affect your behavior

Research shows that if you can solve your life’s problems, your symptoms of depression improve. The time limit of IPT provides sufficient pressure on you to take immediate action toward your therapeutic goals. The final phase of treatment addresses the termination of your interpersonal psychotherapy sessions. Your doctor explains how you can follow up for further guidance if necessary.

Benefits of Interpersonal Therapy

Interpersonal therapy (IPT) helps people improve communication with others and manage their emotions. IPT is especially effective for overcoming depression, anxiety, grief, or relationship conflicts. By focusing on communication and emotional awareness, IPT can help you:

• Build healthier, stronger relationships
• Enhance communication skills
• Cope with loneliness and isolation
• Reduce depression and anxiety symptoms
• Express and accept your emotions

Many patients notice an improvement in mood, a stronger sense of connection and self-understanding after completing therapy.

What Other Conditions Benefit From IPT in New York City?

A combination of talk therapy and medication can be effective in treating depression. Your online psychiatrists doctor prescribes and manages your medications while continuing talk therapy sessions. Both can be performed in person or through modern telepsychiatry. In fact, online therapy often produces quicker results, especially when you’re highly motivated to complete the weekly assignments.

Other forms of mental illness that benefit from IPT include:

• Eating disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Phobias

For those who struggle with substance abuse disorders, IPT addresses the sociological and psychological aspects of substance use, such as patterns in relationships that may need to change for a successful recovery.

IPT Techniques

IPT is a structured and time-limited approach that focuses on current relationships rather than past experiences. During sessions, your therapist will help you identify patterns that may be contributing to your symptoms and guide you through practical strategies to improve them. Common techniques include:

• Role-playing: Practicing new ways of communicating to handle conflict or express emotions more effectively.
• Communication analysis: Examining recent interactions to understand what went wrong and how to respond differently.
• Emotional awareness training: Learning to recognize, name, and manage emotions before they build up.
• Problem-solving: Developing healthy strategies to manage relationship stressors and life changes.

These techniques are tailored to each person’s unique situation and goals, helping you develop tools you can use well beyond therapy sessions.

When Should I Get Help for Depression and Other Forms of Mental Illness?

Depression is a treatable illness, and the earlier it’s diagnosed, the sooner you can get treated. Talk to your doctor about treatment options for depression and other mental health challenges. Find out whether IPT is the best form of talk therapy to treat your condition. Depression isn’t caused by personal shortcomings. Life situations and your moods are related. There may even be a genetic or physical component that your therapist can address.

Why Choose Online Psychiatrists for Interpersonal Therapy?

At Online Psychiatrists, Dr. Zlatin Ivanov, a board-certified psychiatrist with years of experience, offers Interpersonal therapy to help patients manage depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

What sets our practice apart is the combination of clinical expertise and compassionate care — you’ll work with professionals who take time to understand your story and tailor each session to your needs.

We offer both in-office and online appointments, so you can get consistent, confidential care wherever you are. Dr. Ivanov uses evidence-based methods and ongoing progress tracking to ensure your therapy remains effective.

At Online Psychiatrists, you’re not just starting therapy — you’re partnering with a team committed to helping you build stronger, more fulfilling relationships.

What to Expect From IPT at Online Psychiatrists?

During your first session, Dr. Zlatin Ivanov will focus on understanding your concerns, your relationships, and the challenges you’re currently facing. Together, you and your therapist will identify key areas to work on — such as communication problems, grief, or role transitions — and set clear, realistic goals.

Over the next sessions, you’ll learn practical tools to navigate conflicts, express emotions more openly, and connect with others in healthier ways. Each session builds on the previous one, helping you gain insight and confidence step by step.

IPT at Online Psychiatrists typically lasts between 12 and 16 sessions, but treatment is always customized to your pace and progress. Whether you meet in person or online, you can expect a supportive, nonjudgmental space focused on helping you heal and grow.

At Online Psychiatrists, Dr. Zlatin Ivanov and his team combine years of IPT experience to help patients overcome anxiety, depression, and PTSD by strengthening relationships and communication. Take the first step toward improved emotional health and deeper connections - contact us to book an online or in-person appointment. Our main office is located at 405 Lexington Ave, Suite 2601, New York, NY (The Chrysler Building).