A randomized clinical trial compared the effects of traditional behavioral couple therapy (TBCT) and integrative behavioral couple therapy (IBCT) on 134 seriously and chronically distressed married couples, stratified into moderately and severely distressed groups. Couples in IBCT made steady improvements in satisfaction throughout the course of treatment, whereas TBCT couples improved more qui...

We present emotionally focused therapy (EFT) for couples as a viable treatment option for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We outline the empirical evidence of a link between interpersonal relationships and posttraumatic stress, with an emphasis on social support as a buffer for the development of PTSD symptoms. This leads into a discussion of the usefulness of attachment theory in the con...

In a sample of 134 married couples randomly assigned to traditional or integrative behavioral couple therapy (TBCT vs. IBCT), a multivariate hierarchical growth curve analysis using latent variable regression revealed that measures of communication, behavior frequency, and emotional acceptance acted as mechanisms of change. TBCT led to greater changes in frequency of targeted behavior early in ...

This article reviews the research on couple therapy over the last decade. The research shows that couple therapy positively impacts 70% of couples receiving treatment. The effectiveness rates of couple therapy are comparable to the effectiveness rates of individual therapies and vastly superior to control groups not receiving treatment. The relationship between couple distress and individual di...

Infidelity can have devastating effects on couples' relationships. Not only are couples typically confused and uncertain about how to proceed, but couple therapists also report that treating infidelity is one of their greatest clinical challenges. In the current article, we present a conceptual model of response to infidelity with a corresponding infidelity-specific, couple-based intervention. ...

Despite the numerous challenges facing U.S. veterans and their relationships, there have been no examinations of the effectiveness of couple therapy for relationship distress provided to veterans. In the present study, 177 couples presenting for couple therapy at two Veteran Administration Medical Centers completed assessments of relationship satisfaction prior to therapy and weekly during ther...

The similarity in efficacy of evidence-based couple therapies suggests that it may be useful to identify those treatment principles they hold in common. Expanding on the previous description of a unified protocol for couple therapy (Christensen, 2010), this article outlines five common principles: (a) altering the couple's view of the presenting problem to be more objective, contextualized, and...

BACKGROUND In recent years, a growing number of interventions for treatment of female orgasmic problems (FODs) have emerged. Whereas orgasm is a extra biologically and learnable experience, there is a need for practitioners that to be able to select which therapy is the most appropriate to their context. OBJECTIVE In this critical literature review, we aimed to assess areas of controversy in ...

When I was presented with the opportunity to write an essay about infidelity, I was very gladFalbeit cautiousFto have a forum to discuss ideas that have been stewing in my mind for more than 25 years. Having been born and raised in Latin America, I have often felt a sense of cultural dissonance with my colleagues in the United States about this topic. Since the 1970s, when I started practicing ...

Ninety men with alcohol problems and their female partners were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 outpatient conjoint treatments: alcohol behavioral couples therapy (ABCT), ABCT with relapse prevention techniques (RP/ABCT), or ABCT with interventions encouraging Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) involvement (AA/ABCT). Couples were followed for 18 months after treatment. Across the 3 treatments, drinkers who ...