Couples Counseling and Social Work Essay

Tags: social work social worker family therapy human behavior

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.....therapy can exist within a framework that is similar to individual therapy, but deviates to fulfill specific objectives. These objectives often consist of helping couples open lines of communication and promote feelings of intimacy. The first step of this framework can be understanding family of origin. This usually means understanding the root of the problem, typically stemming from childhood experiences. The next step are personal problems. People can have a myriad of character defects of personal pathologies that can impede the progress of therapy. Then there is the couple system where the search for the pattern or root problem of the couple is made. This is followed by understanding the unconscious purpose, poor boundaries, hidden wishes, and fears, hidden shame, power imbalance, and finally psychoeducation. This research proposal aims to provide an outline of what framework exists for effective couple's therapy so a social worker would be able to make the appropriate recommendations for therapy.



There are three common types of couple's therapy available. The first is Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT). EFT is research supported and driven, allowing recognition of unhealthy relationship behaviors. Such behaviors may lead to attachment injuries and it is important to recognize the kind of patterns couples exhibit to properly refer them for therapy (Fitzgerald, 2017).



The second common type of couple therapy is the Gottman Method. This method offers insight into dysfunctional behaviors through two continuums: boundaries and self-esteem (Fitzgerald, 2017). Childhood experiences can mold how a person meets his or her needs and such mechanisms can lead to dysfunctional behaviors, especially within the couple context. Social work typically uses the person-in-environment (PIE) theory to understand the person and the personal behavior in light of environmental settings in which that individual acts and lives (Hutchinson, 2014). By using the PIE theory in conjunction with the Gottman Method, the social worker may be able to provide a deeper level of assessment that can lead to breakthroughs for the couple.



Relational Life Therapy (RLT) is a framework developed by Terry Real and is driven mainly via emotional experience. RLT focuses on the development of insight into existing, dysfunctional behaviors and thought patterns, replacing them with relationally-effective ones (Fitzgerald, 2017).

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RLT allows for enhanced communication for couples and is a great way to allow couples a chance to voice their desires and needs directly. These are the therapeutic frameworks that will be reviewed along with PIE theory for the best means of assisting couples in the social worker setting.

Literature Review



This literature review will cover EFT, the Gottman Method, PIE theory, and RLT. The articles and studies will highlight the frameworks of these concepts as well as potential success of these frameworks when applied in real-world settings. The objective is to understand and highlight theoretical frameworks that may be best suited for couples counseling as a social worker. Although social work does not always involve counseling, it can be part of the job duties and can provide relief to affected couples.



EFT has been used for years to help couples understand the emotional drives of their dysfunctional behaviors. By using research and evidence collected from studies and actual sessions, those using EFT aim to provide couples with the help they need from an evidence-based perspective. "Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT), an evidence-based couple therapy, strives to foster lasting change through the creation of secure attachment bonds in distressed couples" (Wiebe, Johnson, Burgess Moser, Dalgleish, & Tasca, 2016, p. 213). This perspective allows for examination of problems from an established and proven method. The 2016 article on EFT shows what can be used to predict long-term outcomes. "Decreases in attachment avoidance were most predictive of higher relationship satisfaction across follow-up" (Wiebe, Johnson, Burgess Moser, Dalgleish, & Tasca, 2016, p. 213). When couples do not avoid attachment, and facilitate secure attachment bonds, the long-term outcomes are positive.



Evidence-based practice has long been seen in the healthcare industry to enable better results for patients and improve patient satisfaction. By helping guide clients through proven methods, social workers can enable growth in their clients and then collect that information to further improve methodology. This can be a great way to reinforce or remove aspects of counseling that have been utilized in the past. Without constant assessment, the social worker would have a difficult time gauging what works and what does not.



Julie and John Gottman developed.....

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References

Fitzgerald, J. (2017). Foundations for Couples' Therapy: Research for the Real World. Routledge.

Gottman, J., & Gottman, J. (2017). The Natural Principles of Love. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 9(1), 7-26. doi:10.1111/jftr.12182

Hutchinson, E. D. (2014). Dimensions of Human Behavior: Person and Environment. SAGE Publications.

James, A. (2016). Spirituality and Practice in Social Work, Youth and Family Studies. Spirituality across Disciplines: Research and Practice:, 191-202. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-31380-1_15

Munson, C. (2015). Relational Systems Model for Family Therapy. Taylor and Francis.

Wiebe, S. A., Johnson, S. M., Burgess Moser, M., Dalgleish, T. L., & Tasca, G. A. (2016). Predicting Follow-up Outcomes in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy: The Role of Change in Trust, Relationship-Specific Attachment, and Emotional Engagement. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 43(2), 213-226. doi:10.1111/jmft.12199

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