The updated NICE Guidelines for Depression indicate that these therapies are all effective treatments for depression.

In 2009, the IAPT programme embraced this advice and committed to making these therapies available in IAPT services.

The document gives an overview of the competences that staff delivering Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Brief Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT), Counselling for Depression and Couple Therapy for Depression in IAPT services will need to demonstrate when working in IAPT services in the future.

In the coming weeks, these competency frameworks will be finalised and published. They enable SHAs to start to plan and commission training programmes (as part of their integrated training plans for the coming year) by giving SHAs the information they need to take action and make firm plans about how they will train and move therapists delivering these modalities into IAPT services.

The planning of this training, by SHAs, will be further supported by the publication of training curricula, training materials and guidance for commissioners and patients, by Autumn 2010. These additional materials will also include guidance on key parts of training, including equalities issues.

Your comments on these draft competency framework maps are welcome by 13th July 2010.

Please send your comments to: iapt@dh.gsi.gov.uk