Open Dialogue: A Narrative Approach to a Case of Couple Therapy with Conjugal Distress

Abstract

Previous investigations have found specific communication patterns in couples dealing with depression, specifically when depression concurs with conjugal conflicts. The presence of these patterns can reflect the couples’ difficulties to engage in collaborative communication during their sessions, posing a real challenge for therapists. This exploratory study uses a dialogical approach to examine issues of dominance and quality of dialogue in a couple dealing with depression and presenting a low level of dyadic adjustment. The therapists’ interventions were explored in order to detect the kinds of responses that were most effective at enhancing a collaborative attitude in therapy sessions. The method used to analyze the dialogue was Dialogical Investigations of Happenings of Change (DIHC). Results on dialogical qualities were illustrative of the relational dynamics of the couple. The findings indicated that certain therapists’ responses, within the dialogue, could be useful in reducing the hostility between the couple, as long as the responses are maintained over the course of the session. Some research and clinical implications that emerge from the results are discussed.