Assignment | SOCW 6456 – Social Work Practice With Couples and Family Systems | Walden University

Week 4   6456 Behavioral Approaches to Couples Counseling

Readings

• Gurman,   A. S., Lebow, J. L., Snyder, D. K. (2015). Clinical handbook of couple   therapy. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

o Chapter   2, “Cognitive Behavioral Couple Therapy” o Chapter 3, “Integrative Behavioral   Couple Therapy” o Chapter 5, “Gottman Couple Therapy”

•   Gottman, J. (2017). Couples. Psychotherapy Networker Magazine, 41(1), 35-37.

• Platt,   L. F., & Scheitle, C. P. (2017). Is marriage counseling perceived as   scientific? Examining the views of US adults. The Family Journal, 25(3),   239-246.

Media

Gottman:

•   Gottman, J. M., & Gottman, J. S. (Producers). (2009a). Gottman couples   therapy: A new research-based approach: Our research methods [Video file].

Retrieved   from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note: The   approximate length of this media piece is 10 minutes.

•   Gottman, J. M., & Gottman, J. S. (Producers). (2009a). Gottman couples   therapy: A new research-based approach: The sound relationship house [Video   file].

Retrieved   from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note: The   approximate length of this media piece is 30 minutes.

CBT:

• Psychotherapy.net.   (Publisher). (2002a). Cognitive-behavioral child therapy [Video file]. United   States: Author

Retrieved   from the Walden Library databases.

Note: The   approximate length of this media piece is 2 hours.

•   Psychotherapy.net. (Publisher). (2000). Couples therapy for addictions: A   cognitive-behavioral approach [Video file]. Retrieved from the Walden Library   databases.

Note: The   approximate length of this media piece is 2 hours.

Assignment:

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on patterns of thinking, with decreased attention on patterns of behavior and emotional components of relationships. Researchers have given an enormous amount of attention to CBT and its application to a variety of individual mental health concerns, but they also have appropriated it for working with couples and families. Many systems purists argue that CBT is an individual-oriented theory that lacks systemic concepts necessary to conceptualize family or couple issues. In the end, you will have to make the decision as a couples and family helping professional as to whether CBT can address the relational demands of practitioner work with couples and families.

Choose one media resource from this week’s resources to review. As you begin to formulate a theory-based treatment plan, consider how you would maintain focus on the cognitive-behavioral realm of the couples and/or families, yet attend to the emotional dynamics present in the video.

Application:   Applying Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy The Assignment (2–3 pages) 

Based on   the theory demonstrated in the video you chose (CBT with either a couple or   family): 

•  Define   the problem. 

•  Formulate a theory-based treatment plan   including short- and long-term goals for the couples and/or families. 

• Describe two theory-based interventions you   would use and justify your selection. 

• Explain one anticipated outcome of each. 

Support   your Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its   preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list for all resources,   including those in the resources for this course.