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Challenges in Counseling High-Conflict Couples
Providing therapy to couples in highly volatile and conflict-ridden relationships can be exceptionally challenging for the clinician. Psychologists Peter Pearson and Ellyn Bader have likened the experience to 'piloting a helicopter in a hurricane' to illustrate the difficulty.
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Marriage and Family Therapists
Primary Therapeutic Orientation in Couples Therapy
Goals and Outcomes of Couples Therapy
Challenges in Counseling High-Conflict Couples
Peter Pearson and Ellyn Bader
Example of a Couples Therapy Session
A couple is in conflict over household chores. One partner, who grew up in a home with very traditional gender roles, expects the other to handle most of the cleaning. The other partner, raised in a home where chores were shared equally, feels this expectation is unfair. Their disagreements are becoming more frequent and resentful. According to the fundamental principles of couples therapy, what would be the therapist's primary goal in their initial sessions?
A couple is experiencing constant conflict over their finances. One partner, who grew up in a family with limited resources, perceives the other as financially reckless. The other partner, who came from a more affluent background, feels the first partner is overly controlling about money. If they enter therapy together, which of the following actions best represents the therapist's primary role in addressing their issue?