Deliberate Practice in Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Deliberate practice exercises provide trainees and students an opportunity to build competence in essential interpersonal therapy skills while developing their own personal therapeutic style. These exercises present role-playing scenarios in which two trainees act as a client and a clinician, switching back and forth under the guidance of a supervisor. The clinician improvises appropriate and authentic responses to client statements organized into three difficulty levels—beginner, intermediate, and advanced—that reflect common client questions and concerns. Each of the first 10 exercises focuses on a single skill, including developing an interpersonal inventory of patients' relationships, building social skills, and helping patients connect with their own thoughts and emotions and empathize with others. Two comprehensive exercises follow in which trainees integrate these essential skills into a single session. Step-by-step instructions guide participants through the exercises, identify criteria for mastering each skill, and explain how to monitor and adjust difficulty. Guidelines to help trainers and trainees get the most out of training are also provided.