Integrative Behavioural Couple Therapy Flashcards
What does IBCT stand for
Intergrative Behavioural Couples Therapy (IBCT)
IBCT view on distress
Distress is caused by the destructive ways that some couples respond to inevitable incompatibilities.
Four destructive patterns frequently characterize distressed couples conflicts
1) Mutual escalating coercion,
2) Vilification
3) Polarization
4) Alienation
What are the 3 most common Mutual escalating coercion
Moving against the partner ( criticizing, demanding, fault finding)
Moving away from partner ( avoidance, withdrawal, defensiveness)
Hanging onto the partner ( pursuing, hovering, invading privacy)
Role of therapist
1) couples talk through the counsellor (gate keeping)
2) Asks couple to talk directly to each other
3) Take the roll of teacher or coach to help couple improve skills such as communication, problem solving etc
4) Pay attention to the function of behaviour
5) Use language that “hits home”, e.g. metaphor or terms that hold meaning for couple
What is an Assessment
1) An assessment provides the foundation for all future inteventions in IBCT.
2) The primary goal of assessment is the developmet of a case formulation and treatment plan.
3) A good formulation includes a careful description of the theme, a D.E.E.P analysis of the theme and the resulting mutual trap
what is a “theme”
The “theme”, decsibes a topic or category of conflictual behaviour. E.g. the behaviour and what keeps it occuring.
Example of themes
Example of theme: closeness-distance is a common theme among couples seeking treatment. Closeness seeker engages in diverse behaviours to seek closeness with partner. (suggesting events/ activities, hovering, questioning partners love)
Distance seeker engage in diverse behaviour to distance (withdrawal, accuse partner of being too needy)
Trust is another theme. Diverse behaviours couple be interrogations, continuously checking up.
What does D.E.E.P stand for
D: Differences between partners because of their personalities, cultural background, upbringing etc.
E: Emotional sensitivities (problematic) that result from their history/past.
E: External circumstances or life stress that trigger theme or makes it worse
P: Pattern of interaction refers to the fforts by each couple to solve the problem crreated by their differences, emotional sensitivities and external stressors, but intern makes it worse. E.g. mutual escalating coercion, vilification, polarization and alienation
Example of Polarisation, Vilification and alienation
Polarization: partner wants even more alone time, other partner wants even more closeness
Vilification: Partner sees their s/o as neurotically needy, while partner sees their s/o as pathologically afraid of intimacy.
Partners become alienated from each other.
What is the mutual trap
The mutual trap refers to the effects of the pattern of interaction, the impact of the interaction of both partners e.g. both partners feel stuck, discouraged, and hopeless / trapped
Six primary questions that guide the assessment phase / structure of assessment
Six primary questions guide the assessment phase:
1) How distressed is this couple
2) How committed is this couple to the relationship
3) What is the theme
4) Deep anaylsis of theme
5) What are the couples strengths holding them together
6) What can treatment do to help them
IBCT view of change
As couples let go of the struggle to change one another, change occurs in response to natural contingencies.
