Building on the indigenous: theory and method of marriage therapy in contemporary Eastern and Western Africa

Abstract

This paper highlights the distinctive approach to marriage therapy in use by therapists in two regions of Africa. It illustrates that marital therapy in these two regions is based on role theory framework and follows, in its execution, the pattern of the judicial trial model. It traces adaptations made by contemporary marriage therapists to ensure that while building their present practices on this essentially indigenous/court‐room trial model, they are able to remain open to outside influences from other models of marriage.