Emotionally focused therapists' experiences serving interabled couples in couple therapy: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

AbstractInterabled couples navigate various systems of care as they respond to the needs of the disabled partner.Interabled couples are defined as one disabled partner and one nondisabled partner. Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) has shown benefits in reducing relationship distress and increasing the experience of security within couples. The study used interpretative phenomenological analysis  to address how EFT therapists make sense of their lived experience working with interabled couples in couple therapy. The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences of therapists' serving interabled couples. The study explored the experiences of 10 EFT therapists who served at least one i nterabled couple in couple therapy. Findings resulted in four superordinate themes, (a) ableism; (b) self-of-the-therapist; (c) reported relationship dynamics of interabled couples; and (d) the “fit” of EFT approach with interabled couples. The themes demonstrate a need to further identify disab ility-responsive practices within EFT in serving interabled couples.
Source: Journal of Marital and Family Therapy - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research