IBT is a specific type of group therapy that has been known to be effective in the treatment of depression. Learn about it by reading this quick-read article.

What is interactive behavior therapy?

The acronym IBT stands for Interactive-Behavioral Therapy . It is the most popular form of group therapy. Commonly, it’s used with patients with mental disabilities, but also, for individuals suffering from mental disorders.

Group therapy is helpful because individuals suffering from similar challenges can help one another through the process of sharing about triumphs and sharing how they learned to cope and overcome the situation. It’s also effective when the entire group learns to strategies positive actions an group member can take if they are dealing with a current challenge.

Instead of a traditional learn model where social skills are taught by a therapist or educator,  IBT suggests that learning within a group can speed up the process of learning new tools.

There is a 4 stage model used in IBT:

Stage 1: Orientation: A IBT practitioner leads the session. Rules are established to ensure all participants feel safe to share. All members of the group are formally asked to participate. The therapist explains the various roles each individual plays, that everyone has a physical components (there body is present in the room), that each person has a social role (by the way they communicate with others), that each person has a psychodramatic role (by what they think, believe, and express in the world)

Stage: 2: Warm-up and sharing: Participants are asked to share.  This fosters group togetherness. Protagonists are selected by self submission, selection from the facilitator or from the group to be the star character for role playing exercises.

Stage 3: Enactment: Exercises in role playing ensue.  The are taught by a therapist who knows how to deliver the specific IBT teachings. The skills they teach are: Conflict resolution, how to empathize with what others (role reversal), how to make requests and count on your community for support when you need it.

Stage 4: Affirmation: During this stage all group members are acknowledged for their contributions and participation. Any therapeutic practices that were taught during the sessions are revisited for a quick recap to reinforce them. All group members learn how to thank each other. This teaches them the principles of group dynamics how valuable other people are and themselves.

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