ABSTRACT
My early training as a therapist was almost solely in CBT and DBT models. I had no formal exposure to interpersonal psychotherapy, but was beginning to catch glimpses of how operating within a strictly CBT/DBT context could leave me feeling limited as a therapist. While the practical, problem solving nature of CBT and DBT still made sense to me, I began to feel somewhat stuck with patients. Even though we would make progress initially, I felt like I was ‘running out of things to talk about’ as treatment progressed. I knew that I could provide more for patients in helping them work through their relationship issues and interpersonal conflicts as well as the ways in which they sabotaged both themselves and their treatment. Over time I found myself asking questions such as ‘how do I take this patient deeper?’—something my former CBT self would not have paid much consideration to. I was hungry for something more.
