Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Clients With Eating Disorders

This chapter provides an overview of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for eating disorders. It summarizes the theoretical and empirical bases of IPT for the treatment of eating disorders (EDs). Next, the chapter explains the delivery of IPT for EDs, phase by phase, along with a description of the major tenets of the treatment. This description is followed by a case example that illustrates the use of IPT with a client with Binge Eating Disorder (BED). The chapter examines whether IPT for EDs can be translated from specialty care centers to the primary care setting and other community settings in which counselors may be trained to deliver IPT, thus increasing access to this evidence-based treatment. In an effort to continually improve IPT and broaden its utility, the chapter reviews newly emerging adaptation of IPT to prevent excess weight gain in adolescents and then proposes other research directions, including other applications for IPT.