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Psychotherapy or "talk" therapy has many benefits for the bipolar patient including:

• Teaching the patient how to cope with life problems related to bipolar disorder
• Helping the patient adapt to changes in self image
• Helping the patient deal with the stigma of chronic illness
• Helping the patient modify life goals
• Helping the patient understand the effects of bipolar disorder on family, social, and professional relationships
• Reducing the level of distress
• Improving patient's functioning between episodes

Psychotherapy is more likely to help with depression than with mania. In the long-term, it may be helpful in reducing the frequency and intensity of episodes by reducing stress and by helping the patient better understand the need to be compliant with the treatment program. The American Psychiatric Association recommends psychotherapy as an adjunct to medication in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

Psychotherapy works more slowly than medication and for some people can take 2 months or more in order to take effect. There is strong evidence which indicates that the combination treatment of medication and psychotherapy is much more effective than either treatment alone and results in:

• Fewer hospitalizations
• Better compliance with medication regimens
• Less frequent and intense episodes
• Improved functioning
• Increased mood stability

There are several types of psychotherapy available to the person with bipolar disorder including:

Behavioral Therapy

In this type of therapy, the patient is taught how to decrease stress by modifying certain negative behaviors. The focus of therapy also lies in taking control over unwanted behaviors.

Cognitive Therapy

The patient works on identifying behaviors and thoughts that are pessimistic and learns how to modify them to be more positive. Cognitive therapy does not address issues from the patient's past, rather it focuses on the thought processes the patient is dealing with at the present time.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is a combination of both types of therapy and helps the patient identify and change distorted thought patterns that can lead to negative behaviors and replace them with positive thoughts and behaviors. This type of therapy tries to teach the patient that even in negative situations, the patient can learn to think and respond positively.

Interpersonal Therapy

The patient focuses on current relationships with other people and works on identifying and reducing the strain that bipolar disorder places on those relationships. The goal of therapy is to understand how the patient reacts to other people and learn to develop skills to overcome problems and improve communication.

Family Therapy

This form of therapy helps both the patient and family members reduce stress within the family that results from or contributes to symptoms of bipolar disorder.

Social Rhythm Therapy

The patient learns to identify personal and social daily routines that are needed to maintain stability during the course of a routine 24-hour cycle.

There is no consensus to date regarding which psychotherapy technique is most effective for bipolar disorder, although cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most widely used.