Integrative behavioral couples therapy

Behavioral martial therapy started with simple research conducted on couples in the 1960s. Robert Weiss was the orginal author of such research. One of his student Neil Jacobson pioneered the approached. He published a book with Gail Margolin, which launched a social learning model of couples therapy. In this model of therapy, partners learn to be nicer to each other through behavioral exchange (contingency contracts), communicate better and improve their conflict-resolution skills. Early support came when Gottman found that as long as the ratio of positive to negative interactions remains at least five to one, the relationship is sturdy. When the ratio dips below there is a 94 percent chance that a couple will divorce. Behavioral martial theray model remains the most researched model of family therapy and was found to be effective for treating marital discord and depression in woman. Parts of the model, in particular strategic use of the communication skills to reinforce abstence and open dialogue about treatment were introduced as a method for getting drug abusing partners into treatment. ,

Disillusionment with the model began with a study in which it was found that only 50% of couples responded to the therapy The early model drew on social learning principles. In addition, it did not produce more significant outcomes then insight oriented couple therapy

To strengthen the model, Neil Jacobson sugested returning to contextualism, functional analysis and Skinner's destinction between contingency shaped and rule governed behavior. This model became known as intergrative behavioral couples therapy model. It is considered a third generation behavior therapy or sometimes called clinical behavior analysis component known as integrative behavioral couples therapy. Integrative behavioral couples therapy seems to work slower in producing change initially but has led to a 71% improvement rate in couples. In addition, Intergrative behavioral couples therapy does not produce as much change as traditional behavioral couples therapy but it does produce more acceptance. At two years 69% of the Intergrative behavioral couples therapy group appears to be doing better, while only 60% of the traditional group does better, while martial satisfaction was also in greater favor for the integrative behavioral couples therapy group However, the traditional behavioral couples therapy group had a larger decline in negativity toward each other then did the integrative behavioral couples therapy group This model draws heavily on the use of funcitonal analyis(psychology) and the Skinnerian distinction between contgency based and rule governed behavior to balance acceptance and change in the relationship

Integrative behavioral couples therpy addresses topics such as intimacy in couples relationships , forgiveness in couples ,