The Department of Psychiatry & the National Drug Dependence Treatment Center (NDDTC), AIIMS New Delhi; in association with the Psychotherapy Speciality Section of the Indian Psychiatry Society (IPS) is delighted to invite you to the National CME on Combined Psychotherapy and Pharmacotherapy, on the 8th – 9th of October 2023, at the JLN Auditorium, AIIMS, New Delhi.

The question of combining medication with psychotherapy has intrigued clinicians and researchers since the earliest days of psychopharmacology. Psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy are typically delivered by separate clinicians and may be conceptualized from dualistic perspectives. Combined treatment work best when clinicians develop flexible plans that allows for appropriate alterations in medication and the delivery of psychotherapy to meet the specific needs of the clinical situation following an integrative model. Studies that have explored the mechanisms of interaction between pharmaco- therapy and psychotherapy show positive interactions between treatments.

In this CME, we examine the current status of combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy from both a clinical and research perspective. Erudite speakers will provide the rationale for bringing biological and psychological therapies together in a comprehensive approach to treatment. Also, speakers will offer practical guidelines for using an integrated treatment approach.