Three sessions of brief couples therapy: A clinical trial.

Abstract

The effects of positive reframing and restraining in the context of time-limited brief couples therapy were investigated. Forty couples were randomly assigned to either an immediate treatment group or to a waiting-list control group that received delayed treatment. The interventions had a positive impact on dyadic adjustment, target complaints, and conflict resolution of treated couples compared to couples in the waiting-list control group. There were no significant differences observed in the relationship beliefs and spousal attributions between the treated and untreated couples. Thirty-nine percent of couples met L. Christensen and J. Mendoza's (1986) definition of clinically meaningful improvement. Treatment gains observed at the termination of the 3-session treatments appear to have been maintained at 6-weeks follow-up. A positive relation was observed between couples' improvement and compliance with treatment directives. Implications for time-limited brief therapy are discussed.