Couple therapy in the 2020s: Current status and emerging developments

Summary & key facts

This paper reviews couple therapy in the 2020s. It says couple therapy has become a main way to help couples and is grounded in strong research from studies of couple therapy and relational science. The review reports that couple therapy is widely accepted for reducing relationship distress and improving relationship quality. It also finds that couple-based interventions can help with many specific relationship problems and some individual emotional and physical health problems. The authors note that many approaches share common methods but also have important differences. They discuss recent trends such as telehealth and digital tools, more treatments for specific problems and diverse group

Key facts:

• The paper states that couple therapy has strong empirical underpinnings based on research in couple therapy and basic relational science.
• The authors describe couple therapy as the widely accepted method for reducing relationship distress and enhancing relationship quality.
• Couple-based interventions have considerable research support both as a stand-alone treatment and when used together with other treatment formats.
• The review says couple therapy has been applied to a broad range of specific relational dysfunctions and to some individual emotional and physical health problems.
• The authors report a convergence of methods: many approaches share common factors, shared strategies, and similar arrangements across models.
• They also note key differences among approaches, and say those differences matter when selecting and tailoring interventions for a given couple.
• Recent trends highlighted include the impact of telehealth and related digital technologies, expansion of treatments for specific problems and diverse populations, and connections between couple therapy and relationship education.

Abstract

This paper provides a critical analysis and synthesis of the current status and emerging developments in contemporary couple therapy. Its narrative centers on the evolution of couple therapy into a prominent intervention modality and coherent body ...

Topics

Attachment and Relationship Dynamics Digital Mental Health Interventions Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications

Categories

Psychology Social Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Distress Economics Epistemology Family therapy Field (mathematics) Health care Intervention (counseling) Law Management science Mathematics Narrative review Philosophy Political science Psychiatry Psychological intervention Psychology Psychotherapist Pure mathematics Quality (philosophy) Telehealth Telemedicine