Construing couples: the challenges of marital therapy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33898/rdp.v21i81.598Keywords:
Kelly's Sociality Corollary, Personal Construct Psychology, Couples, Marital Therapy, Couples Therapy, CoconstructionAbstract
Many therapists report that working with couples is very difficult and stressful. In this article I offer a few evolving thoughts on working with couples, based on Kelly’s Sociallity corollary and the field of hermeneutic inquiry. The primary task of marital therapy is to work together with couples in coauthoring (or coconstructing) a history that (a) is specific to the concerns of each spouse, (b) is meaningful to the two of them as a couple, and (c) provides new options for effective action in the situation confronting them. This coauthoring process, if it is to be successful with couples, must address a number of related issues, including codefining problem, connecting with the relevant system, codeveloping specific and workable goals, maintaining flexibility and coconstructing alternatives.
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