Couples Therapy Flashcards

In sensate focus (Masters and Johnson), the initial phase specifically requires couples to:

Answer: Take turns giving and receiving non-genital touch without performance expectations

Early sensate focus deliberately removes performance pressure by banning intercourse and focusing on non-genital touch, allowing partners to rediscover pleasure without anxiety.

A couple presents where one partner experienced childhood emotional neglect. In session, they frequently intellectualize and minimize their partner's emotional expression. The EFT therapist would most likely:

Answer: Use evocative responding and heightening to access underlying primary emotions beneath the defense

EFT therapists use evocative questioning and heightening to bypass secondary responses (like intellectualization) and access the primary attachment emotions underneath.

According to Gottman, which of the Four Horsemen is the BEST predictor of relationship dissolution?

Answer: Contempt

Gottman's longitudinal research identified contempt — which communicates superiority and disgust — as the single strongest predictor of divorce.

A therapist is working with a couple from a collectivist cultural background. The partners prioritize family harmony over individual expression. The culturally competent therapist should:

Answer: Adapt the therapeutic framework to honor collectivist values rather than imposing individualistic norms

Cultural competence requires adapting therapeutic models to fit the couple's values — collectivist couples may communicate indirectly, and this is a cultural strength, not a deficit.

During a couples session, a husband discloses that his wife physically hit him last month. The wife denies it. The therapist's FIRST responsibility is to:

Answer: Conduct a safety assessment and determine whether conjoint therapy is appropriate to continue

Disclosure of physical violence requires immediate safety assessment; the therapist must determine risk level and whether continuing conjoint sessions is safe and appropriate.

The 'demand-withdraw' pattern in couples research is most strongly associated with:

Answer: Poor conflict resolution outcomes and reduced relationship satisfaction

Research consistently links demand-withdraw patterns to lower relationship satisfaction, higher distress, and reduced intimacy over time.

A couple reports they have 'tried everything' and are considering separation. The therapist notices they still laugh together and show occasional positive affect. Clinically, this is most relevant because:

Answer: Residual positive sentiment and humor are associated with better prognosis in couples therapy

Gottman's research shows that couples who retain capacity for humor and positive interaction, even during distress, have better prognosis and are more responsive to intervention.