A case of chronic back pain and the “unilateral” treatment of marital problems

Abstract

When a client's problems are deeply rooted in his or her marriage, a therapist should usually work with both husband and wife. However, when either spouse refuses cooperation, unilateral marriage counseling, in which the client identifies problem areas in the marriage and becomes a behavioral engineer (with the therapist as a consultant), can be employed. This procedure is illustrated in the case of a 52-yr-old woman who reported numerous marital problems accompanied by chronic back pain.