The focusing-oriented approach applied to couple therapy

Many couple therapists prefer an integrative approach to working with couples. They also have shown more interest in the humanistic approach in recent times than they used to do in the past. However there has been almost no discussion in the literature of how the focusing-oriented approach can be used in couple therapy, probably because most focusing-oriented therapists remain individual counsellors. The present research is a contribution to bringing the focusing-oriented approach into couple therapy, but is also a contribution to the integrative approach to working with couples. The aims of this research are: 1. To examine how couple therapists usually work with couples. 2. To investigate how widespread the use of the focusing-oriented approach is as a therapeutic approach when working with couples. 3. To explore what are seen as the common factors of therapeutic change in standard couple therapy and in focusing-oriented psychotherapy. 4. To examine what elements of focusing-oriented therapy can be brought into couple therapy. 5. To ascertain whether there is any evidence for the focusing-oriented approach being effective in working with couples. 6. To discover how using the focusing-oriented approach can make a difference to couple therapy. This research aims to demonstrate how the focusing-oriented approach can apply to couple therapy. With this end in view, the research for the thesis was conducted in three parts. Part One collected quantitative data about the extent to which focusing-oriented therapists are involved in working with couples and how couple therapists normally work with couples. Part Two observed and recorded focusing sessions with the Diploma students in focusing-oriented and experiential psychotherapy at the University of East Anglia for two years. The aim of this part of the research was to understand the focusing process and to find what elements of Focusing might apply to working with couples. Part Three involved interviews with fourteen counsellors. Seven counsellors worked with couples as couple therapists and the other seven counsellors were trained in the focusing-oriented approach and had experience of working with couples. The interviews and analysis revealed how they worked with couples, and what the possibilities are for integrating the focusing-oriented approach into couple therapy.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of East Anglia

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• An, Kimin

Language dc:language

en