The Interpersonal Situation

A flexible, evidence-based framework that bridges therapeutic approaches to empower clinicians in understanding and treating diverse clients with diverse problems. Contemporary integrative interpersonal theory (CIIT) uses interpersonal principles in a way that is evidence‐based, practical, and ecumenical. It does not offer one particular type of therapy focused on one type of disorder, but rather a heuristic model for clinicians, who may operate from different theoretical orientations, to conceptualize the client and the problem at hand. The interpersonal situation provides a flexible framework for conceptualizing psychotherapy clients, their problems in terms of thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and their interactions with psychotherapists. This book explores how psychopathology and psychotherapy are understood within the CIIT framework, and examines how therapists can implement the principles and techniques of CIIT for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Chapters explain the CIIT conception of psychopathology, describe how common mental health problems can be conceptualized in terms of interpersonal mapping, and provide detailed, practical, step-by-step guidance for clinical interventions.