The recent meta-analysis has demonstrated that of the major psychotherapies, interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) has the largest effect for depression. However, IPT is rarely utilized in Japanese psychiatric clinics. One of the reasons for this is that there are no unique techniques for IPT, but its strategy is unique, which is difficult for clinicians to understand. The therapeutic strategies are broadly divided into two types: "focusing on interpersonal problem areas" and "applying a medical model", which the concept "role" underlies. With such a therapeutic strategy, it is possible to help the patient express emotions in a warm and safe therapeutic relationship, thereby enhancing the self-respect of the patient and allowing them to grasp the surrounding interpersonal relationship based on their role. Understanding these therapeutic strategies and concepts enables clinicians to conduct effective medical care even in brief sessions at outpatient clinics. In this article, I introduced the outline of IPT, and described the important points of treatment for refractory depression and its applications in brief sessions at Japanese psychiatric clinics. Finally, I described a clinical case vignette for bipolar II disorder treated by interpersonal and social rhythm therapy in brief sessions at a psychiatric clinic.
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