What Is Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression?

When you’re struggling with depression, it often feels like you’re carrying a heavy weight you can’t explain—and you might not even be sure where it came from. Maybe you feel disconnected from the people around you, or stuck in the same painful relationship patterns again and again.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is a powerful approach to treating depression—but did you know that its roots go deeper than the short-term, structured model most people talk about?

Let’s explore Sullivan-style IPT, a longer-term, relationship-focused form of therapy that helps people with depression by examining how early relationship patterns continue to shape their present lives.

The Heart of Sullivanian IPT: We Are Who We Relate To

Sullivanian IPT is based on the work of Harry Stack Sullivan who believed that our sense of self is formed through relationships. In other words, the way we learn to connect with others—starting in childhood—has a profound effect on our emotional well-being.

From Sullivan’s perspective, depression often isn’t just a chemical imbalance or a reaction to stress—it’s also a reflection of deep, often unconscious patterns in how we relate to others and ourselves.

Sullivan-style IPT aims to reduce depression by helping people understand, explore, and gradually transform these long-standing interpersonal patterns.

So, What Does Sullivanian IPT Look Like?

Unlike short-term IPT, which usually lasts 12–16 sessions and focuses on current life stressors, Sullivan-style IPT is a longer-term therapy that allows for deeper exploration. It’s especially helpful for people with chronic depression, complex relational histories, or longstanding emotional difficulties.

Here’s what you can expect:

1. A Strong Therapeutic Relationship

The relationship between you and your therapist is central in this approach. It becomes a kind of “test space” for understanding how you relate to others in the outside world. Patterns like withdrawal, people-pleasing, conflict avoidance, or mistrust can show up in the therapy room—and become opportunities for gentle reflection and growth.

2. Exploring Interpersonal History

Rather than focusing only on the present, your therapist will help you explore how early relationships (with caregivers, siblings, peers) shaped the way you view yourself and others. For example:

• Do you feel like you’re too much—or not enough—for other people?
• Are you constantly seeking approval but never feeling truly seen?
• Do you struggle with closeness, or push people away before they can hurt you?

These aren’t just abstract ideas—they’re real emotional patterns that affect your daily life and contribute to depression.

3. Making the Unspoken, Spoken

Sullivanian IPT places a big emphasis on interpersonal sensitivity—the small, often unspoken cues we send and receive in relationships. Your therapist helps you become more aware of these dynamics, bringing unconscious patterns into conscious awareness so you can understand and shift them over time.

Depression Through the Lens of Relationships

From a Sullivanian perspective, depression is not just a disorder that exists “inside” the person—it’s often a relational response. You might feel hopeless or worthless not just because of internal thoughts, but because of ongoing experiences of disconnection, rejection, or emotional isolation.

By working through those relational wounds, Sullivan-style IPT helps you:

• Understand where these feelings come from
• See how they affect your current relationships
• Develop new, more fulfilling ways of relating

This can lead to lasting emotional change—not just symptom relief, but a more stable, secure sense of self.

Who Is Long-Term IPT Good For?

While short-term IPT works well for many, long-term, Sullivan-style IPT may be especially helpful for:

• People with chronic or recurring depression
• Those who feel stuck in repetitive or painful relationship patterns
• Individuals with a history of trauma, neglect, or emotionally distant caregiving
• Anyone seeking deeper emotional insight and transformation

Conclusion

Sullivan-style Interpersonal Psychotherapy helps people recover from depression by understanding how their relationships—past and present—shape their emotional life.

Through a deep, trusting therapeutic relationship, this approach helps you uncover old patterns, build new ones, and create space for more meaningful connection—not only with others, but with yourself.

Healing doesn’t always happen quickly. But with time, care, and curiosity, it does happen—and you don’t have to go through it alone.