Integrative behavioral couple therapy (IBCT) was developed in the 1990s by Neil Jacobson and Andrew Christensen as a treatment for couple relationship distress. IBCT was developed with the goal of reaching a broader range of couples than traditional behavioral couple therapy (TBCT), and it is unique in its focus on acceptance strategies in addition to traditional change strategies utilized in TBCT. IBCT is theorized to change behavior through contingency-shaped methods, wherein natural consequences in an individual’s environment (e.g., one’s partner’s behavior) increase desired behaviors and ultimately increase closeness and satisfaction in the relationship. In contrast, TBCT changes behavior through rule-governed methods, wherein partners alter their behavior as a result of direct instruction of the therapist. Jacobson and Christensen theorized that IBCT would create more lasting ...

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