Targeting Sex-Role and Power Issues with a Functional Analytic Approach

Abstract

Although egalitarianism and gender issues often underlie the success or failure of the marital relationship, it is less clear how the marital therapist can introduce these notions into the process of marital therapy. A new approach to marital therapy is described in which a focus on the therapeutic and marital relationship is used to identify and overcome dysfunctional patterns based on gender stereotypes and sexist behavior. The therapy is based on a new type of behavioral therapy known as Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP). FAP has the advantages of giving explicit guidance to the therapist in the moment-to-moment process of therapy while at the same time taking into account the context and highly individualistic nature of the marital relationship.