Couple Therapy for Depression is an integrative, behaviourally-based of up to 20-session couple therapy designed to treat depression in couples where there is also relationship distress. It is one of the high intensity therapies offered in IAPT Services.
This site offers guidance for commissioners, practitioners, and supervisors. It has links to competencies, curriculum and training courses, and to details of accreditation, books and useful articles.
- reduces damaging interactions between couples,
- builds emotional openness and closeness,
- improves communication and behaviour,
- changes unhelpful cognitions and perceptions, and
- helps the couple cope with the ordinary and not-so ordinary stresses that arise in the course of everyday relating.
Couple therapy for Depression recovery rates for both depression and anxiety are higher than all other modes of therapy in IAPT services including CBT and counselling. Psychological Therapies: Annual report on the use of IAPT services (Published 18th October 2016) indicates that couple therapy for depression recovery rate stands at 61.8% for anxiety and 58.8% for depression (i.e. significantly higher than CBT and counselling – which are the standard offer in most IAPT services).
