There is substantial evidence that the strength of the therapeutic alliance in couples therapy is predictive of successful treatment outcome. However, little research has examined the factors that predict a strong therapeutic alliance in couples therapy. With evidence indicating that attachment styles play an important role in the development of healthy adult relationships, it was hypothesized that the attachment styles of partners in couples therapy would predict the development of a strong therapeutic alliance. Data from 115 heterosexual couples seen at a university-based MFT clinic in the southeastern region of the U.S. were used to test this hypothesis. Using multiple regression, results generally found that attachment styles generally predicted the therapeutic alliance among women, but there was only limited support among men. The results of the study suggest the importance of couples therapists being aware of attachment issues, especially among women, as they relate to the establishment of a strong therapeutic alliance.

This is a longitudinal multilevel analysis using third party coded data of 15 couples therapy sessions to identify which therapist Emotion Focused Therapy interventions (Management of Couple's Interaction, Working with Primary Emotion, Managing Defensive Responses, Reframing the Problem in Terms of the Cycle, and Placing Emerging Emotions into the Cycle) influenced husband-to-wife and wife-to-husband exchanges of Positive Behaviors (warmth, prosocial behaviors, communication, assertiveness, and listening). A mixed effects model was used to examine within- and between-individual variability. Men and women were modeled separately. A series of two-level multilevel models of change were examined, where Time is Level 1 and Individual is Level 2. Results indicated no significant relationship between Management of the Couple's Interaction, Managing Defensive Responses, and Reframing the Problem in Terms of the Cycle with both wife-to-husband and husband-to-wife positive behavior. Findings demonstrated that 44.5% of the variance in wife-to-husband positive behaviors and 66.5% of the variance in husband-to-wife positive behaviors was accounted for by the therapist Working with Primary Emotion and Placing Emerging Emotions in the Cycle. Specifically, these therapist interventions were significantly and negatively related to wife-to-husband and husband-to-wife positive behaviors over time in therapy. Clinical implications and directions for future research will be discussed.

Equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is an emerging experiential methodology<br />that has recently gained recognition as a method for addressing a range of presenting<br />problems for a wide variety of client populations. Couples therapy is one area that the<br />practice of equine assisted psychotherapy has recently gained traction. This study<br />describes the practice of equine assisted couples therapy in terms of practitioner<br />characteristics, approach to treatment, therapeutic goals and outcomes. Mental health<br />professionals currently using equine assisted psychotherapy to treat couples share their<br />experiences and perspectives to provide an overview of this emerging modality. / Master of Science

The purpose of this study is to develop an interpretative understanding of how discursive therapists’ linguistic actions enhance the couple alliance. Additionally, this study includes an exploration of whether these models hold up to a common factors conversation in the practice of couples therapy. The couple alliance is the central relationship in couples therapy. Previous research suggests that therapists’ actions might have an effect on enhancing this alliance by creating a dyadic orientation. In postmodern/discursive models of practice, therapists’ actions have gone mostly unexplored, leaving therapists with little understanding of what is done in the process of couples therapy that enhances the couple alliance and creates a dyadic orientation. Results from a Conversation Analysis of couple’s cases in Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and Collaborative Language Therapy suggest the linguistic actions of discursive therapists appear mostly congruent with the claims they make regarding couples therapy. These actions may produce an enhanced couple alliance based on the empirically supported characteristics of a strong couple alliance. Findings also support model-dependent common factors of discursive couples therapy. In all three approaches the couple alliance appears to be enhanced by: (a) developing a symmetrical structure of the dialogue, (b) developing a contextual understanding of the self and the partner, (c) expanding the changes to the larger system, and (d) using thematic summaries. These findings have implications for practice and training in discursive couples therapy. Recommendations for future research include utilizing deductive reasoning in outcome studies to explore the effectiveness of a discursive couples therapy common factors approach to enhance the couple alliance.

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the understanding of the effects of aphasia couples therapy (ACT) in a person with conduction aphasia. ACT is a social therapeutic approach that involves facilitating conversations between the person with aphasia (PWA) and their spouse, or caregiver. The participants in this study involved one pair. The dependent variables included conveyance of main concepts, use of intentional gestures, reflections and summary statements per conversation. Miscellaneous measures were also counted and analyzed including the PWA’s frequency of paraphasias, fillers (e.g. um, uh), and disfluencies. Baseline sessions involved the PWA watching a video clip, and then providing a verbal summary of the main concept of the clip to his non-aphasic spouse within a 10-minute conversation. Therapy treatment sessions followed the same format as the baseline sessions, however, therapy sessions also included the aide of the researcher to coach the participants to use their pre-selected communication strategies to improve the balance in their conversations. The ability to accurately convey the main concept of a video clip in conversation served as the primary dependent variable in this study. Follow-up sessions were also conducted in similar fashion to baseline and probe sessions to determine maintenance and validity of results by dividing the total number of main concepts by the total number of utterances per conversation. Furthermore, ratings of the PWA’s quality of life and confidence in his ability to communicate were gathered and compared. The results of this study indicated that ACT yielded improved effects for the couple with regards to the communication of main concepts per conversation. A decrease in the use of all included miscellaneous measures were also observed. However, no significant changes were noted with regards to use of intentional gestures, reflections, and summary statements.

This diploma work is dealing with the phenomenon of matrimonial crises. In the introductory chapters of the theoretical part we are defining the main themes of this work - relationship, philosophy of marriage, crises and marital crises. We are concerned with the couples therapy, its history and selected approaches. One chapter is devoted to the developmental approach that gives the possibility to see marital crises as an opportunity to self-knowledge, personality growth or relationship advancement. Practical part is conceived as a qualitative research. Its main goal is to survey and explore marital crises that we observed in clients of marital consulting centre. We would like to offer a more generalized vision of marital crises. We would also answer the questions how does a marital crises looks like and what processes are going on. Our work is setting down the research goals and describes in details chosen methodology, research sample and the methods of collecting and processing the data. Research data were collected mainly in the half- structured interview that was completed by the observation of interaction styles and a technique of relationship sculpturing. The research results were processed with the help of the method of open coding that is part of the grounded theory. The data were analyzed,...

The present study explored how emotional cushioning (EC) buffered the relationship between grief intensity of perinatal loss and relationship satisfaction among women who have experienced pregnancy after loss. It was hypothesized that higher levels of grief intensity would be negatively associated with relationship satisfaction among women. Additionally, it was hypothesized that higher levels of EC would lessen the negative relationship between grief intensity of perinatal loss and relationship satisfaction among women. Through the use of a hierarchical linear regression, it was determined that grief intensity was not significantly associated with relationship satisfaction and that EC did not serve as a buffer between grief intensity and relationship satisfaction. However, a significant correlation was found between EC and relationship satisfaction. The results of this study can help contribute to the literature by providing more discussion about utilizing systemic approaches for clients who have experienced perinatal loss and pregnancy-related anxiety.

Syfte: Att öka kunskap om klinisk hypnos inom ramen för familje-/parterapi. Frågeställningar: I vilken omfattning används hypnos? När? Av vilka anledningar, samt hur? Metod: Kvalitativ, explorativ. 10 intervjuer har genomförts. Resultat: Inblick ges i systemiskt hypnosarbete, vilket kan utgöra förstudie till fortsatt forskning. Omfattning: Hypnos används i 0 - 100 % av fallen, vanligast i 40 - 50 %. När: Vid depression, ångest, affektiv-, kommunikations-, sex &amp; samlevnadsproblem, med dissociativa klienter, trauma, ätstörningar, klienter med autistiska drag, vid kroppssymtom; smärta, mage/tarmproblem, högt blodtryck. Hypnos är särskilt givande vid problem som påverkar familjen. Anledningar: Hypnos är salutogent, ger verktyg för interaktion och bearbetning som når ickeverbala nivåer, kan ge kroppsreaktioner. Hypnos anses skonsamt, helande, effektiviserande. Hypnos upplevs ofta positivt, vilsamt för såväl klienter som terapeut. Terapeutens ensamarbete underlättas. Hur: Direkt och indirekt hypnos används, med och utan övrig familj närvarande, utifrån klientens behov. Namnet klinisk hypnos överväger, men ”visualisering, inre bild, imaginativ övning, dagdrömsteknik etc.” förekommer för att ej väcka fördomar, vilket existerar. Olika hypnostekniker exemplifieras. Diskussion: Metod och frågeställningar har god passform. Resultatet stöds av tidigare forskning och teoribildning samt pekar på nyheter; omfattningen, vikten av möjligheten att arbeta tyst, med medföljande personal, självhypnos, minska lugnande medicinering, vilsamt för terapeuten. Varför metoden ej är vidare spridd, beforskad diskuteras. Vetenskapliga studier om hypnos efterfrågas. / Purpose: To increase knowledge on clinical hypnosis within the context of family/couples therapy. Questions: To what extent is hypnosis utilized? When? For what reasons, and how? Method: Qualitative, explorative. 10 interviews were made. Results: Insight is given in systemic hypnotherapy, which could form a preliminary to further research. Scope: Hypnosis is used in 0 - 100% of cases, most common in 40 - 50 %. When: For depression, anxiety, affective-, communication-, sex &amp; relationshipproblems, with dissociative clients, trauma, eating disorders, clients with autistic traits or bodily symtoms; pain, gastrointestinal problems, high blood pressure. Hypnosis is especially rewarding when family is affected by the problem. Reasons: Hypnosis is salutogenic, adds tools for interaction and processing that reach nonverbal levels, can give body reactions. Hypnosis is regarded gentle, healing, increasing efficiency. Hypnosis often gives positive, restful experiences, for clients and therapist. Hypnosis facilitates working alone. How: Direct and indirect hypnosis is used, with or without family present, based on the clients needs . The term clinical hypnosis dominates, allthough "visualization, mental image, imaginative exercise, reverie technique etc." appears to not arouse prejudice. Hypnotic techniques are exemplified. Discussion: Method and issues are well fit. The result is supported by earlier research/theories, pointing to news; scope, the importance of the possibility to work in silence, with escorts, reduction of sedatives, selfhypnosis, restfulness for the therapist. Why the method is not further spread, researched is discussed. Scientific studies of hypnosis are requested.

Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-57).

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