Experiences of Working‐Age Adults with Depression of Psychodynamic Couple Therapy: A Thematic analysis using a Phenomenological Approach

Abstract

The current study draws on interviews with service users about their experiences to inform the practice of psychodynamic couple therapy for depression. Five participants, who had received at least six months of psychodynamic couple therapy in London (UK) for the treatment of severe distress and depression, completed a semi‐structured interview. They were recruited using a purposive sampling technique. Data was analysed using a phenomenological approach to thematic analysis. Six themes were identified in relation to participants' experiences of couple therapy. Key aspects highlighted by participants include: the therapist, described as a ‘third person’, became a referee and mediated the communication within the couple, providing a different perspective, enabling a safe environment for reciprocal listening; the process of making links with the past enabled participants to understand their current behaviour as individual and dysfunctional areas as a couple; the therapist's ability to understand the couple as individuals rather than as a unified entity was key; therapist neutrality and capacity to empathise with the couple was valued by participants. The study highlighted the intertwined dynamic between relationship difficulties and depression. Participants were not able to make a clear distinction between these two experiences, and this microcosm may reflect the difficulties that clients face in accessing public services, which have historically held a more individualistic perspective of distress.