Couple Therapy, Eating Disorders & Clinical Placements

Schedule and Course Information

• The schedule is changing to include Couple Therapy and Eating Disorders, with unfinished Eating Disorders topics being covered next week.
• Next week's lecture will be pre-recorded due to travel and posted by Saturday, including a Blueprint.

Test Details

• A test is upcoming and will follow the usual format.
• The average test score was in the 90s, indicating good performance.
• Email is the preferred method for questions and service.

Preceptor Information

• Those with a preceptor in mind for the next semester should submit forms to get the process started.
• Students staying with the same preceptor should still complete the form, copying the previous semester's form and updating it.
• Clinical placements are arranged for students at the end of February/March if they have issues finding a preceptor.

Clinical Site Recommendations

• Changing clinical sites is recommended unless it's a dynamic site like an ER with diverse patients.
• Exposure to more prescribers and settings is beneficial for gaining experience and deciding future career paths.
• The form submission deadline is February 28th.

Summer Teaching

• Only one section of D&T 3 will be offered in the summer.
• The instructor will be teaching D&T 3 and D&T 1 for new students.
• The paper due date is February 19th.

Exam Timings

• An exam is scheduled for the second week in March.

Couples Therapy Overview

• Couples therapy is a psychotherapy designed to help couples understand, resolve conflicts, and improve relationships by focusing on communication, emotional connection, and addressing conflicts.
• Ideal time for couples therapy is when issues are beginning or there is a feeling of separation.
• It is better to start therapy earlier rather than waiting to hit rock bottom.

Main Goals of Couples Therapy

• Repair relationships, reestablish communication and intimacy.
• Learn problem-solving skills to prevent future fights from ending the relationship.
• Arguments are inevitable, therapy teaches how to react.

Historical Context and Models

• Couples therapy started in the psychoanalytical field and moved into family therapy.
• John Bowlby's attachment theory and John Gottman's relationship dynamics are relevant models.

Therapeutic Approaches

• Psychodynamic Approach: focuses on unresolved internal conflicts and their impact on present relationships, rooted in childhood issues.
• Cognitive Behavioral Model (CBT): focuses on identifying and changing maladaptive thought patterns and behaviors.

Other Therapeutic Approaches

• Humanistic Existential: Emphasizes emotional self-awareness and personal responsibility.
• Systemic View: Sees the couple as part of a larger system influenced by family and social dynamics, breaking negative cycles from upbringing.

Common Issues and Strategies

• Miscommunication is a core issue. Strategies include using "I" statements, taking ownership, and active listening.
• Conflict resolution strategies aim to help couples identify their conflict styles (avoidance, confrontation, compromise).

Intimacy and Other Issues

• Intimacy and sexual issues often involve mismatched sexual drives or unresolved sexual trauma.
• Financial conflicts, especially in long-term relationships, and parenting disagreements are significant factors.

Infidelity and Trust

• Rebuilding trust and emotional safety are crucial after infidelity.
• Therapists/facilitators should remain neutral to mediate discussions impartially.

Identifying Hidden Dynamics

• Surface issues may be smokescreens for deeper problems; therapists need to dig deep.
• Therapists help couples uncover issues like control, dependency, and boundary setting.

Specific Relationship Dynamics

• Codependency: Addressing unhealthy connections and helping individuals stand on their own.
• Emotional Focus: Strengthening emotional bonds by addressing attachment insecurities.

The Gottman Method

• Building love maps to help partners gain detailed knowledge of each other's world.
• Teaching techniques to handle conflict respectfully and constructively.
• Creating shared meaning by developing shared goals, rituals, and values.

Other Factors to Consider

• Working as a team overall.
• Changing negative thoughts or behaviors.

Therapeutic Approaches

• Imago Relationship Therapy: addresses unresolved childhood wounds affecting adult relationships.
• Freud's Influence: Subconscious mimicry of childhood experiences.

Key Concepts

• Imago: A subconscious image of what love should look like based on childhood experiences.
• Diaptic Adjustment Scale: Measures quality and satisfaction in a relationship to assess compatibility.

Assessment Tools

• Gottman Relationship Checkup: An online tool for an in-depth assessment of a couple's strengths and challenges.
• Communication Pattern Questionnaire: Assesses patterns of communication to predict future relationship problems.
• The Five Love Languages Quiz: Helps couples identify how they best receive and express love.

Stages of Therapy

• Assessment, Goal Setting: Includes questionnaires and assessments to identify issues, understand relationship history, and set goals for therapy.
• Conflict Resolution Phase: Using tools provided by the therapist to resolve conflicts.
• Maintenance and Relapse Prevention: Building coping mechanisms and skills to maintain relationship improvements long term.

Ongoing Therapy

• Successful therapy may still require booster sessions or check-ins.
• Follow-up is important, especially for complex issues and trauma in relationships.

Trauma Impact

• Underlying trauma, especially sexual abuse, can significantly affect behaviors in relationships.