What is DIT (Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy)?

DIT, or dynamic interpersonal therapy, is a time-limited psychodynamic therapy designed to help people manage relationship and emotional problems, specifically depression and anxiety. Clinicians delivering this form of therapy seek to identify patterns of behaviour that often stem from early childhood experiences. By doing so, the therapist can help their patient understand the connection between what they are feeling, and how this is impacting their current relationships and why.

What can you expect during the course of treatment?

DIT typically lasts for 16 sessions. Sessions occur weekly and last for 50 minutes. The first few sessions will centre around discovery; the patient will talk to their therapist about the important relationships in their life and explore how these link to their feelings of low mood and depression and what effect this has on their significant others. Following this, the therapist will provide a tailored plan which details the areas to focus on throughout the remaining sessions.

Once the therapist has uncovered the core pattern (something the patient is doing subconsciously and repetitively), they can better understand how this affects the patient’s relationships. And most importantly, drawing attention to the patient’s feelings during the session can help move them away from this pattern and towards behaviours that lead to better, healthier relationships, which ultimately may improve feelings of low mood and depression.

Dynamic interpersonal therapy doesn’t involve homework (unlike CBT, for example), but progress is usually recorded in order for both the patient and therapist to see the improvements week-on-week.

Does Xyla offer DIT?

At Xyla, we offer flexible online DIT, which you can access from the comfort of your own home. Our sessions are available 7 days a week, booked in at a time that suits you; we offer sessions between 7am – 11pm. To access DIT with us, you need to be referred from your local IAPT service. You can find your nearest service by clicking here.

Please note, neither this form of therapy nor our service is designed for emergencies. If you need urgent help or you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can access emergency support here.