Thinking under fire: Mentalization-based couple therapy for high conflict and domestically abusive couples'

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Family Therapy
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Working with high-conflict and domestically abusive couples presents significant challenges in psychotherapy.
• Traditional individual-based treatment models may not fully address the complexities of these relationships.

Observation:

• A case study illustrates the application of a relational approach in couple therapy following an abusive incident.
• Assessment and therapeutic understanding were tailored to the couple's crisis presentation.

Findings:

• Eight months of treatment involved managing frequent communication breakdowns.
• Mentalization-based techniques were crucial in supporting and maintaining the therapeutic working alliance.

Implications:

• This approach aims to mitigate the damaging effects of domestic abuse on couples and their children.
• The study examines the rationale for couple therapy in domestic violence, integrating dynamic theory and mentalization-based techniques to manage dysregulated emotional states leading to abuse.