Exam 1 Flashcards
Main concerns/issues that bring couples into counseling
Emotional disengagement Waning commitment Power struggles Problem solving Communication difficulties Jealousy Extramarital; involvements Value and role conflicts Abuse and violence o
Two areas to look at when assessing climate of couples therapy session
safety- can the couple communicate based on the temp
Temperature- frigid, cold, normal, heated
Different pursuant and withdrawal patterns
Unidirectional- one pursuer and one distanced
Symmetrical- alternate between one pursuing and the other distancing
Complimentary- both distance themselves and then both pursue
CBCT Goals
Help couples:
- identify issues of primary distress resulting from unmet fundamental needs (issues of control, intimacy, and connection)
- identify issues of secondary distress= distress resulting from STRATEGIES used to handle primary distress ie attacking and withdrawing
- become more active observers of their own distorted thoughts and behaviors
- develope strategies to decrease primary distress thus decreasing incidents of secondary distress
CBCT Cognitive Errors
Partners dysfunctional emotional and behavioral responses to relationship events are influenced by information processing errors, where cognitive appraisals of events are distorted or arbitrary (or extreme or unreasonable standards)
CBCT cognitive modification interventions
Socratic questioning: asking a series of questions to help an individual reevaluate the logic of his or her thinking to understand the underlying issues and concerns that aren’t originally obvious.
Guided Discovery
A wide variety of interventions in which the therapist creates experiences for a couple, such that one or two members begin to question their thinking and develop a different perspective on the partnership
Help realize assumptions, misinterpretations, expectations
CBCT Behavior modification interventions
Guided behavior change: how to behavior differently or be treated differently discussed in session. Agree on specific strategies
Skills based interventions:
Focus on PROCESS of communication rather than content. Assumes poor communication.
CBCT Assessment process
Initial- multiple strategies for info gathering including self-report questionnaires, clinical interviews (couple and individual), direct observation of the couples patterns
Asses environmental factors and historical factors
- Identify the concerns and potential areas of enrichment
2, to clarify the congitive, behavioral and affective factors - To determine the appropriateness of therapy in addressing the concerns.
Primary vs Secondary Distress CBCT
Primary distress: the root distress
Secondary distress: behaviors in response to primary distress
CBCT Negative Sentiment Override
It’s when everything you say to your partner is met with a hostile or a sarcastic comment. Or stone-cold silence.
Couples in Negative Sentiment Override are wearing “dark gray glasses,” and interpret even the most complimentary statement as an intended insult. Or sarcasm.
Imagine a plane that is flying over turbulent airwaves, when suddenly it begins to fly over calm airwaves containing a pasture of sheep. The plane then goes back into turbulent airwaves.
Did the pilot notice that the air was calm? Did he enjoy that time it was calm or was he so focused on the previous turbulence that he ignored the smooth flying?
In many marriages, the angry, or hopeless feelings and experiences are the turbulence. The soft and tender feelings (the sheep in the picture) are the calm. In some relationship, we focus only on the negative feelings, and even when the warm and fuzzy feelings or good times arise, we discount them.
Couples go from negative experience to negative experience, jumping over, or “overriding” the positives in the relationship.
CBCT Individual, dyadic, and environmental factors in assessment
Individual: personality, needs, values
Dyadic: how the individual personality, needs and values interact
Environmental: demands which the couple has had to cope with over the course of the relationship (nuclear and extended family relationships, work pressures) as well as broader issues like economic stress, racial or sexual discrimination, or threats of terrorism
CBCT Questionares
Self report used to guide interviews
The dyadic adjustment scale
The Marital Satisfaction inventory
Areas of Change
Need fulfillment inventory
Family inventory of life events and changes
Communications Patterns
Solution focused approach vs problem focused approach
Problem focused is trying to fix the problem, identify problems and look at scripts that promote problems, COUNSELOR is EXPERT, notice client barriers
Solution focused is the solution is the EXCEPTION, identify what is not a problem and build of solutions, CLIENT is EXPERT, and notice client strengths.
Assumptions of SFT
Preconceptions about the couple hamper helpers.
There are many ways to look at a couples situation, not just one right way.
Cooperating with the couple is a more useful concept than resistance.
Small couple change leads to bigger change.
Change is constantly happening in the couple relationship and inevitable.
Couples have the INTERNAL resources to solve their problems
Couples are EXPERTS on their lives and relationships
You dont need to know the CAUSE of the problem to find the solution
Couple is accountable for their actions
Three types of client/therapist relationships SFCT
Visitor/host relationship
Complainant/listener
Customer/seller
