Couples groups in family medicine training

To tailor a behavioral science curriculum to family practice needs, less importance should be given to inpatient psychiatry, and more emphasis to the common outpatient problems seen in the primary care setting. The experience of co-leading a short-term couples therapy group during residency training can assist the family physician in becoming more comfortable with marital counseling. Each couples group was co-led by a resident and a behavioral scientist, with couples who had requested marital treatment from the mental health service of a health maintenance organization. After couples were initially evaluated with a pregroup questionnaire, a number of group therapy sessions were co-led, using specific communications techniques and exercises. Benefits to the resident included development of skills in handling small groups, learning behavioral tools for assisting couples, and developing increased comfort in approaching psychosocial issues.