Paths to better emotion regulation in couple therapy: Exploring ACEs and attachment

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Family Studies

Background:

• Emotion regulation (ER) is a crucial factor in couple therapy.
• Limited understanding exists regarding ER changes during therapy and the influence of early life and attachment.
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and attachment insecurity may impact ER.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in ER difficulties throughout couple therapy.
• To determine if ACEs and current attachment insecurity predict baseline ER difficulties and treatment changes.
• To analyze the sources of variance in ER changes during couple therapy.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 308 married individuals undergoing couple therapy participated.
• Multilevel modeling was used to analyze changes in ER difficulties over 24 sessions.
• The study assessed ACEs, attachment anxiety, and attachment avoidance.

Main Results:

• A significant, though small, decline in ER difficulties was observed across therapy sessions.
• Higher baseline ER difficulties were associated with both ACEs and insecure attachment.
• Only avoidant attachment predicted greater ER improvement; ACEs and attachment anxiety did not predict change.

Conclusions:

• Emotion regulation is a dynamic and viable target for couple therapy.
• Assessing developmental history (ACEs) and current attachment insecurity is vital for tailoring interventions.
• Most ER variation occurs at the individual level, both between and within individuals over time.