Randomized Controlled Trial of Imago Relationship Therapy: Exploring Statistical and Clinical Significance

For decades, couples around the world have used Imago relationship therapy (IRT) to improve their relationships. While anecdotal success stories abound, no randomized controlled trial of IRT's impact has been accomplished until now. The authors review the results of a randomized controlled trial of distressed, treatment-seeking couples who completed 12 sessions of IRT and the impact their involvement had on their marital satisfaction. Results showed that (a) individuals in the treatment condition experienced statistically significant increases in marital satisfaction, while couples in the control group did not; (b) levels of marital satisfaction did decrease significantly from posttreatment to follow-up but remained significantly higher than at pretreatment; (c) though statistically significant, the improvements experienced by the treatment group were not clinically significant improvements; and (d) while approximately one-third of participants achieved recovery during treatment, at the dyad level, only one couple achieved recovery. Further analysis and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Phase-based Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy for Adults With Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (complex PTSD) presents unique challenges to treatment beyond that of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The expert consensus best practice for treatment of complex PTSD is a phase-based or sequenced approach that has typically been offered in individual or group therapy modalities. Emotionally focused couple therapy (EFCT) shows promise as a couple-based treatment for PTSD, but the standard protocol may inadequately incorporate best practice guidelines of phase-based treatment for complex PTSD. Integration of phase-based treatment of complex PTSD within an EFCT format is proposed, giving direction to EFCT providers on incorporating best practice guidelines into their work with survivors.     

Conceptual and Application Issues: Emotionally Focused Therapy With Gay Male Couples

Therapists working with couples are likely to see gay male couples in their practice yet there is a lack of training to prepare therapists to work with gay couples. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is an empirically supported approach to couples therapy and offers a clear structure and map for working with gay male couples. This article reviews some of the issues that are specific to EFT work with gay men. Given the range of minority stressors that gay men contend with EFT is particularly appropriate for work with gay male couples because of the focus on the attachment bond. Building a secure relationship is an important source of resilience that can buffer against prejudice and discrimination and provide a secure base for individual and couple exploration.     

Epigenetic Model of Marital Expectations

The Epigenetic model of understanding marital expectations of Bhatti focuses on the domains of (a) expectations from the partner, (b) expectations from marriage, (c) expectations of and from the partner’s family of origin, (d) expectations of the institution of marriage, and (e) the concept of an “ideal partner,” and helps in understanding how martial expectations are influenced by various factors in the person’s life. The underlying assumption is that the spouses enter the marriage with expectations (on all the above mentioned domains), which are facts and exist at a conscious level in the social reality. These indicators further evolve, refine, and change across the span of the marriage. This model has formed the framework for marital therapy and other interventions. This paper highlights the application of this model in marital therapy with couples with marital dysfunction.     

Let’s Play: Using Systemic and Experiential Techniques in the Play Therapy Instruction of MFT Masters’ Students

Marriage and family therapists are uniquely poised to work with entire families, including children. It is surprising then, that so few MFTs affiliate with play therapy. Many COAMFTE accredited masters’ programs offer some form of play therapy training, but therapists often report feeling uncomfortable with play therapy (Gil, 2015). In this paper, we offer a condensed refresher course on play therapy for MFTs, including suggested readings, materials, and instructions to expand training from a 2-day seminar to a 14-week course. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of offering play therapy instruction as a semester long required course for masters’ students.     

Affection and Abuse: Technology Use in Adolescent Romantic Relationships

Communication technologies benefit romantic relationships in terms of connection, but can also bring potential harm. Positive relational outcomes of adolescent technology use (i.e., increased emotional connection) have been examined separately from negative outcomes (i.e., unwanted monitoring of whereabouts) in previous research. However, the current study utilized hierarchical multiple regression to explore whether variance in both positive and negative relational outcomes could be explained by time spent online. Results suggest that time spent online predicts both positive relationship quality and cyber dating abuse after controlling age and gender. Implications include a greater understanding of the intersection between technology and adolescent relationships.     

Family Functioning,Family Structure,and Differentiation of Self in Heterosexual Spanish Couples: An Actor–Partner Analysis

This study used an actor–partner interdependence model to assess the relationship between differentiation of self and family functioning in a sample of 118 heterosexual Spanish couples, with additional attention to family structural correlates, including age of the children, number of children in the household, and educational level. Results showed a significant actor effect, with greater differentiation of self levels predicting better family functioning within individuals. Implications for mental health professionals regarding differentiation are provided.     

The role of community context and psychological well-being for physical health: A dyadic study of military couples

Drawing from the social organizational theory of community action and change (SOAC) within a systemic biopsychosocial perspective, associations between community context (military community connections and satisfaction with military life), psychological well-being (depressive symptoms, anxiety, and self-efficacy), and physical health were examined for a sample of active duty service members and their civilian spouses (N = 236 couples) using an actor partner interdependence framework. Service members with higher levels of military community connections reported better psychological well-being. When civilian spouses were more satisfied with military life, both partners reported better psychological well-being. In turn, both spouses’ psychological well-being was related to their own reports of physical health. Statistically significant indirect effects were found between community contexts and spouses’ physical health. Enhancing community connections may be an important leverage point for supporting health and family readiness.     

Intimate partner cohesion and military unit cohesion: Different types of interpersonal relationships each uniquely predict soldier well-being

Although research on military populations has found that measures of personal well-being are correlated with both intimate partner cohesion and military unit cohesion, it is not clear how these correlations should be interpreted. Based on Relationship Regulation Theory, it was expected that each type of interpersonal relationship would have independent effects, that each would uniquely predict outcomes, and that effects would remain significant after controlling for person-level traits and experiences, such as trait resilience and exposure to combat. A sample of 273 active-duty military personnel completed self-report measures of cohesion in two types of interpersonal relationships (intimate relationships and military unit relationships), two control variables (trait resilience and combat exposure), and three outcome variables (well-being, negative emotionality, and trauma-related stress). Results indicated that cohesion in the two types of relationships were minimally related to each other, but both correlated with outcome variables. Effects for each type of interpersonal relationship remained significant after controlling for the other type and controlling for trait resilience and combat exposure. The results suggest that the effects of interpersonal cohesion are best understood as reflecting experiences in specific types of relationships rather than general characteristics of people in those relationships.     

Providing Relationship Interventions to Same-Sex Couples: Clinical Considerations,Program Adaptations,and Continuing Education

Despite remarkable similarities to different-sex couples in terms of core relationship processes and outcomes, same-sex couples differ from different-sex couples in important ways, including relational strengths (e.g., more egalitarian) and challenges associated with their sexual minority identity (e.g., discrimination). Given that most cognitive-behavioral relationship interventions have been designed for and tested on different-sex couples, clinicians wishing to serve same-sex couples will need to make appropriate adaptations to these interventions in order to remove heterosexist bias and sensitively meet the unique needs of same-sex couples. Further, clinicians should strive to be culturally competent in serving this population by developing knowledge of same-sex couple dynamics and issues, and by building a sense of comfort working with these families, which may involve addressing personal biases. The current paper seeks to provide an introduction to same-sex couple relational processes, and offers clinical recommendations and intervention adaptations to better serve this population. Some examples will refer to the development of the Strengthening Same-Sex Relationships programs, culturally sensitive relationship education programs specifically designed for and successfully piloted with male and female same-sex couples.