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Dialogue and Dominance in Couple Therapy for Depression: Exploring Therapists' Responses in Creating Collaborative
Lourdes Artigas Miralles1, Anna Vilaregut Puigdesens1, Guillem Feixas Viaplana2
1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Sciences, FPCEE Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain.
Family Process
|September 19, 2019
Summary
Couples therapy for depression can improve collaboration by understanding dialogue dynamics. Therapists
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Family Therapy
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Couples experiencing depression often exhibit communication patterns hindering collaborative therapy.
- These patterns present significant challenges for therapists aiming to foster joint problem-solving.
- Understanding relational dynamics and dialogue types is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore dominance and dialogue types in couples with varying dyadic adjustment levels.
- To identify therapist responses that promote collaborative attitudes during therapy sessions.
- To analyze the impact of dialogue on shared meaning-making in couples depression.
Main Methods:
- Employed a dialogical approach to analyze communication patterns in two couples.
- Utilized Dialogical Investigations of Happenings of Change (DIHC) for dialogue analysis.
- Examined therapist reactions and their effectiveness in fostering collaboration.
Main Results:
- Couple members' quantitative and semantic dominance reflected relational dynamics.
- Therapists consistently exercised interactional dominance in both cases.
- Dialogic dialogue facilitated the co-construction of new shared meanings of depression.
- Specific therapist responses, sustained over time, reduced couple hostility.
Conclusions:
- Therapist-guided dialogue can reshape relational dynamics and improve collaborative communication.
- Understanding and utilizing dialogical approaches offers clinical implications for treating couples depression.
- Sustained therapeutic dialogue can reduce hostility and enhance dyadic adjustment.