A very wise doctor explained to me once one of the the values of IPT (interpersonal psychotherapy). First he explained that talk therapy is as potent as any psychopharmaceutical you can take.

This makes sense when you think about the things in life that act as catalysts to our behavior, the speeches that spur us to take action, e.g. It is the invocation of your endogenous hormones that comes through such treatment that is so therapeutic.

Assuming that is true, merely seeing a therapist regularly is like getting an injection of your favorite psych med on a regular basis. And presumably, that treatment is without the detrimental side effects (puffy eyes excepted).

If you augment a medication regimen with IPT, it is like taking a double dose of medication, a dose larger than you could otherwise physically tolerate and with possibly 2x the potency.

This is without even considering the life skills you are learning at the hands of a competent therapist.

If all of this is true, it is no wonder why IPT and medication are so often prescribed together.