Significant Moments in a Couple Therapy Session: Towards the Integration of Different Modalities of Analysis

This chapter presents a couple therapy session from four different research perspectives: The verbal dialogue was analysed with the Dialogical Investigations of Happenings of Change method, the embodied reactions of each participant were analysed by examining the electrodermal activity of each participant, and nonverbal synchrony was observed between the participants. Stimulated Recall Interviews, conducted individually after the session, were used to gain insights on the participants’ thoughts and feelings concerning particular moments in the session. We wished to determine what could be learned from the embodied reactions of the participants in couple therapy, including whether the data o…

Increasing responsibility, safety, and trust through a dialogical approach: A case study in couple therapy for psychological abusive behavior

This article reports an analysis of conjoint therapy for psychological intimate partner violence, treated via a dialogical approach. The article reviews current controversies surrounding this treatment modality and its outcome. The dialogical approach is presented as an appropriate method for analyzing and understanding the issue of violence, but it is emphasized that the focus on communication does not involve a return to a systemic perspective on intimate partner violence. Four important dimensions are identified as emerging in conjoint treatment for psychological intimate partner violence, namely responsibility, safety, trust, and the role of the therapists. The Dialogical Investigations…

The added value of studying embodied responses in couple therapy research : A case study

This article reports on the added value of embodied responses identified through sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity in couple therapy research. It focuses on moments of change and the timing of therapeutic interventions or therapeutic moves in a couple therapy session. The data for this single‐case study comprise couple therapy process videotapes recorded in a multi‐camera setting, and measurements of participants’ SNS activity. The voluntary participants were a marital couple in their late thirties and two middle‐aged male psychotherapists. The division into topic segments showed how the key issue of seeking help, which was found to comprise three separate components, was repeatedly…

Entrevistas de Recuerdo Estimulado: ¿Cómo la entrevista de investigación puede contribuir a nuevas prácticas terapéuticas? [Stimulated Recall Interviews: How can the research interview contribute to new therapeutic practices?]

The subjective experiences of participants in couple therapy have been explored through Stimulated Recall Interviews (SRIs), in which both clients and therapists come individually to watch video clips of their therapy sessions. We believe SRIs offer a good resource for Practice Oriented Research (POR) by promoting meaningful, flexible interplay between scientific research and clinical practice. Team members have different roles, either as “insiders” or “outsiders” of the therapeutic setting. The potential benefits of these interviews are illustrated by a case study conducted within the Relational Mind research project, in which SRIs helped to promote the emergence of reflections. SRIs, hith…

Results of the Jyväskylä research project on couple therapy for intimate partner violence : topics and strategies in successful therapy processes

Despite controversy over the indications of couple therapy for IPV, current research has indicated some benefits. This article examines some crucial aspects when dealing with couple therapy for IPV, such as how dominance and power abuse are present, and which important issues should be taken into account during the therapeutic process and be brought up in therapeutic conversations. It also proposes strategies for therapists conducting couple therapy for IPV. Ten studies conducted within the Jyväskylä research project on couple therapy for IPV were reviewed. Findings highlighted the importance of the therapists’ awareness of the presence of violence, dominance and power during the sessions, …

The Added Value of Studying Embodied Responses in Couple Therapy Research: A Case Study.

This article reports on the added value of embodied responses identified through sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity in couple therapy research. It focuses on moments of change and the timing of therapeutic interventions or therapeutic moves in a couple therapy session. The data for this single-case study comprise couple therapy process videotapes recorded in a multi-camera setting, and measurements of participants' SNS activity. The voluntary participants were a marital couple in their late thirties and two middle-aged male psychotherapists. The division into topic segments showed how the key issue of seeking help, which was found to comprise three separate components, was repeatedly…

Editorial: New approaches to understand domestic violence and reduce its prevalence