Welcome to our latest New Perspectives on Practice series, “Who’s Afraid of Couples Therapy?” This exciting series, based on our November/December 2011 issue on the topic, will explore the challenges of couples work, discuss how therapists can become more comfortable doing effective work with couples, and much more.

What are the most effective strategies in working with couples? How can therapists structure therapy—particularly in the early sessions—so that couples leave with a sense of hope, rather than frustration? Can working with individuals who have serious issues in their relationships actually be detrimental to them? Find out the answers to these questions and much more. In this first session with expert couples therapists Ellyn Bader and Peter Pearson, the creators of the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy, you’ll find out why clinicians often avoid working with couples and how you can better prepare yourself for couples therapy work.

Throughout the series, a Comment Board after each session will be available. The Comment Boards are a way for participants to share thoughts and reflections about what was most interesting and to ask questions of the presenters and of each other. We invite and encourage you to use these Comment Boards as a forum for thought and to continue the conversation sparked by each session. After listening to this first session, please just take a few minutes to share what you think. What was most striking about this session? What questions do you have? 

Thank you so much for your participation, and welcome to this relevant and important series. If you ever have any technical questions or issues, please feel free to email support@psychotherapynetworker.org.

How is Attachment Theory relevant to effectively couples therapy? Learn with Sue Johnson how understanding and working with attachment relationships will help therapists deepen their emotional presence and work with clients’ emotional reactivity in session. Johnson, one of the originators of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, will explore the principles of this empirically validated treatment and how to apply Attachment Theory in therapy.

After this session, please take a few minutes to engage in the Comment Board and let us know what you think about using this method with couples and whether you think Attachment Theory is applicable in couples therapy. What was new or most striking about this presentation? What questions did this bring up for you?  We invite you to include your name and hometown along with your comment. If you ever have any technical questions, contact support@psychotherapynetworker.org.