A Closer Look at Couple Collusion: Protecting the Self and Preserving the System

Couple collusion is the term used to describe a group of defenses that some spouses use to protect their respective selves and to preserve dyadic equilibrium. Collusive defenses can take a variety of forms, such as conscious agreements, non-verbalized pacts, and unconscious contracts. In this article, the author describes two unconscious collusive defenses: (a) acting out and (b) monitoring and restraining. He offers some suggestions for dealing with these defensive systems in two case studies.