Couples Therapy Research

Couples therapy refers to a type of psychotherapy that addresses relationship distress experienced by individuals, couples, or families. While there are a number of different treatment modalities to address couple concerns, the focus of this entry will be on research addressing couples treatment in which a clinician meets conjointly with both parties in the relationship. Couples therapy research is an important contribution to the field of marriage, family, and couples counseling because it demonstrates the efficacy and progression of therapeutic interventions with relational dyads. Couples therapy research informs clinical training and practice, which directly benefits families and society as a whole, and also provides direction for future research that will address present and predict future societal concerns. This entry includes a brief historical overview of ...