Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy Research Articles

Addressing power in couples therapy: Integrating socio-emotional relationship therapy and emotionally focused therapy.

Romantic relationships are more satisfying and fulfilling when power is balanced relatively equally between partners (Leonhardt etal., Journal of Family Psychology, 34, 2020, and 1). Yet, few couples therapy models explicitly outline how to confront relational power issues (Knudson-Martin & Huenergardt, 2015, Socio-emotional relationship therapy: Bridging emotion, societal context, and couple interaction, Springer). Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT; Johnson, 2020, The practice of emotionally focused couple therapy, Routledge) is a well-established, evidence-based therapy modality that many therapists use with couple clients, yet despite its effectiveness, it does not provide direction for explicitly addressing and treating power differentials in couple relationships. In this paper, we explore the integration of EFT with Socio-emotional Relationship Therapy (SERT), a model overlay that acknowledges the impact of social discourse on enactments of power in intimate couple relationships. We first address the importance of understanding power in couple relationships, addressing power in couples therapy, and provide a brief overview of SERT and EFT. We then introduce an integration of the models intended to help therapists balance power, increase connection, and secure attachment bonds between romantic partners.

Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy in Turkey: Navigating Equity and Sociocultural Change

ABSTRACT Third order thinking takes a metaview that links micro-level relationship processes with larger societal contexts. In Turkey, traditional and collectivist values originating generations ago and egalitarian and individualistic goals that emerged with the effects of modernization create tensions in family structures and intimate relationship dynamics. The familialist and conservative perspective that has dominated the political context in recent years and the discourse of equality, interpreted as sameness, exacerbate this tension. In this article, we discuss how to apply Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy (SERT) in Turkey, a critical-social constructionist approach that enables practitioners to address how power imbalances and inequalities in larger societal contexts are manifested in the therapy room. Beginning with sociocultural attunement, SERT aims to transform social processes that prevent couples from developing mutually supportive relationships. It uses third order thinking to make power dynamics and sociocultural contexts visible, which enables partners to create alternatives to inequitable power processes by making sense of their experiences with a broader lens. Drawing on a heterosexual couple case example, we introduce the principles of SERT, the Circle of Care, and the clinical sequence and illustrate application in the Turkish sociocultural context.

“There Is No Such Thing as Neutrality”: An Interview with Dr. Carmen Knudson-Martin, Ph.D. on Feminism in Academia/Clinical Practice

ABSTRACT Dr. Knudson-Martin is a prolific researcher, educator, presenter, editor, and clinician in feminist family therapy, currently serving as Professor Emerita at Lewis & Clark College. Her work includes over 100 publications (books, book chapters, and refereed articles) and over 120 professional presentations (invited and refereed). Accolades include recognition as one of the most influential papers published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (1975–2011), the Anselm Strauss Award (with Dana Matta) for Best Family Qualitative Research (2007), and the Distinguished Contribution to Family Therapy Theory and Practice Award from American Family Therapy Academy (2017). Along with Douglas Huenergardt and a clinical research team, Dr. Knudson-Martin, founded Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy (SERT), which focuses on the intersection of emotion, power, and sociocultural contexts in the micro-processes of couple interactions. This interview focused candidly on how Dr. Knudson-Martin’s understanding of feminism changed over the years, her views on barriers faced by feminist researchers, and the strong influence collaborative relationships in academia have had on her career. Contextualizing her evolved understanding of feminism, Dr. Knudson-Martin reflected on her past research that divided the concept of gender into three elements (power, culture, and process) and how her own privilege initially restricted her understanding of feminism. Finally, Dr. Knudson-Martin highlighted the importance of working across disciplines to broaden perspectives, bridge theoretical divides, and begin with an intersectional lens rather than secondary consideration of identity as “an add-on.”

Learning to Embody a Social Justice Perspective in Couple and Family Therapy: A Grounded Theory Analysis of MFTs in Training.

This action research study explores how four MFT students shifted from a cognitive understanding of equity and power to an intrinsic and automatic internalized process as we participated in research in which we observed, coded, and engaged in structured reflexive conversations about relational power using a data bank of Socio Emotional Relationship Therapy sessions. We reviewed and analyzed ten of our recorded two-hour reflexive conversations to develop grounded theory that explains our experience of learning to embody a relational power lens, which consists of five interconnected phases: (a) developing a theoretical understanding of relational power, (b) critically observing live therapy, (c) noticing and attending to the felt sense of witnessing power, (d) engaging in transformative conversation, and (e) applying to personal practice. Our findings provide guidance for clinical training programs who wish to facilitate the experience for clinicians-in-training to understand and address societal power processes in clinical practice.

Sociocultural Attunement to Vulnerability in Couple Therapy: Fulcrum for Changing Power Processes in Heterosexual Relationships.

Increasingly, couple therapists are called to promote equity in their clinical practice, yet little research illuminates the intricacy of doing this work. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical processes involved when therapists facilitate a more equitable balance of power in couple relationships while utilizing a sociocontextual frame of reference. It is part of larger research explicating Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy (SERT), an approach that places equity and social justice at the core. The sample included 72 SERT sessions with nine heterosoexual couples in which there was an observable power difference between partners. Using Charmaz's (2014, Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis, Sage) grounded theory coding, theoretical sampling, and interpretive methods, we examined therapist/client responses over multiple sessions to explain shifts in the couples' power balance. Analysis identified sociocultural attunement to vulnerability as the core clinical process and detailed five sociocultural expressions: socialized vulnerability, socialized invulnerability, reactive (in)vulnerability, reactive vulnerability, and shared vulnerability. Shifts in power involved each of three therapist stances: (a) identification of the societal power context of vulnerability, (b) therapist leadership and responsive persistence, and (c) facilitating mutual sociocultural attunement to vulnerability to promote shared relational responsibility and influence. Implications address the connections between power and vulnerability in couples work and what therapists can do to more effectively facilitate relational equity.

The comparison of effectiveness of reality therapy and Socio-emotional relationship therapy on coping strategies in couples

مطالعه حاضر با هدف مقایسه اثربخشی واقعیت درمانی و ارتباط درمانی اجتماعی-هیجانی بر راهبردهای مقابله ای زوجین انجام شد. روش پژوهش از نوع نیمه آزمایشی بود. جامعه مورد مطالعه شامل زوجینی بود که در سال 1395 به مراکز مشاوره شهرستان اردبیل مراجعه کرده بودند. 45 زوج به صورت در دسترس انتخاب شدند و به روش تصادفی در گروه های آزمایشی و کنترل تقسیم گردیدند. آزمودنی های گروه های آزمایشی 10 جلسه 90 دقیقه ای دریافت نمودند. داده ها با استفاده از پرسشنامه راهبردهای مقابله ای گردآوری شد. نتایج آماری تحلیل کوواریانس چند متغیری نشان داد بین سه گروه در نمرات پس آزمون جستجوی حمایت اجتماعی، حل مساله ، مسئولیت پذیری، فاصله گیری و گریز و اجتناب تفاوت معنی داری وجود داشت(0/01> P). نتایج آزمون توکی نشان داد که در حل مساله و مسئولیت پذیری، میانگین نمرات «گروه واقعیت درمانی از گروه کنترل» و در حمایت اجتماعی، فاصله گیری و گریز و اجتناب، میانگین نمرات «گروه ارتباط درمانی اجتماعی-هیجانی از گروه کنترل» به طور معناداری متفاوت بود (0/01> P). بر حسب نتایج واقعیت درمانی و ارتباط درمانی اجتماعی-هیجانی منجر به افزایش راهبردهای جستجوی حمایت اجتماعی، حل مساله، مسئولیت پذیری و کاهش فاصله گیری و گریز و اجتناب شد.

Fostering Trust Through Relational Safety: Applying Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy's Focus on Gender and Power With Heterosexual Adult-Survivor Couples

ABSTRACTTrust issues for adult-survivor couples, in which one or both partners experienced childhood abuse, can be significant due to gendered power disparities that erode trust as well as relational injuries as youths. Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy (SERT) addresses couples' gendered power disparities. This longitudinal study analyzed videos and transcripts of 40 SERT sessions with four heterosexual adult-survivor couples and applied those findings to another four heterosexual adult-survivor couples, to develop grounded theory on how to work with trust, gender, and power issues. Three key relational processes were (a) gendered fear of being vulnerable, (b) unique gendered power approaches, and (c) distrustful reactions. Five key clinical processes helped couples establish relational safety: recognize gendered power's effects on relational safety, comprehend the socioemotional experience of partners, accentuate relational needs, initiate partners sharing power, and identify trustworthiness of partners.

Integrating Social Justice into the Practice of CBFT: A Critical Look at Family Schemas.

Many families come to therapy struggling with the negative consequence of social inequity. Family therapy modalities have been developed to address these negative consequences and attend to power and social equity (Transformative family therapy: Just families in a just society. Boston, MA: Pearson Education; Socio-emotional relationship therapy. New York, NY: Springer). We argue that many family therapy modalities can be adapted to include social equity (Applying critical social theory in family therapy practice. AFTA Springer Series. New York, NY: Springer Publishing). Specifically, cognitive behavioral family therapy can be used to address the inequality in social systems that negatively affect the family system. We focus on schema formation and suggest an emphasis on societal schemas within the therapy milieu as a tool to help families see how societal inequality can affect the problems faced in family life.

Addressing Culture, Gender, and Power with Asian American Couples: Application of Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy.

Asian Americans juggle the intersections of multiple social identities and societal discourses as they respond to experiences of immigration, marginalization, and patriarchy, integrate collectivist and individualistic family values, and form families and intimate relationships. In this study we examine what we have learned as we apply Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy (SERT) with heterosexual couples of Asian heritage. SERT begins with sociocultural attunement and the assumption that relationships should mutually support each partner. Drawing on case examples, we illustrate how we practice sociocultural attunement as couples respond to the relational processes that comprise the Circle of Care (mutual influence, vulnerability, attunement, and shared relational responsibility). We emphasize three key socioemotional themes that intersect with gender: (1) intangible loss; (2) quiet fortitude/not burdening others; and (3) duty to the family.

Gender, Power, and Trust in Couple Therapy With Survivors of Childhood Abuse

Couples in which a partner experienced child abuse often have exceptional relational stresses, most notably, the difficulty of adult survivors trusting their partners. Power imbalances between partners can accentuate distrust, thereby posing even greater challenges in the relationship. Clinical processes centered in theory guided by relational feminism can be helpful. The author introduces relational trust theory, which articulates how the intermingling of gendered power interactions and adult-survivor power responses negatively impact relational connection. This theory draws on relational ethics and Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy, which addresses gendered power processes, to help clinicians cultivate mutuality and trust between partners. Case composites show how this theory has been applied in couple therapy.

Practicing Socio-cultural Attunement: A Study of Couple Therapists

In this clinical project our research group of counseling and family sciences doctoral students, utilizing socio-emotional relationship therapy, studied our process of becoming socio-culturally attuned with our client couples. The aims of this clinical project were to operationally define socio-cultural attunement, identify therapist and client indicators of socio-cultural attunement, and outline a model of how to be socio-culturally attuned. Over the course of 4 months, 13 therapists focused on five couples and 25 therapy sessions, engaging in live observation, discussion, watching video tapes, and regularly providing written responses to open-ended questions about socio-cultural attunement. After four cycles of analysis we arrived at a working model for the process of socio-cultural attunement which involves three recursive phases: a beginning guiding lens, sociocultural interpretation, and client and therapist resonance. A case example is provided and clinical implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

A Socio‐Emotional Approach to Couple Therapy: Linking Social Context and Couple Interaction

This paper introduces Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy (SERT), an approach designed to intervene in socio-cultural processes that limit couples' ability to develop mutually supportive relationships, especially within heterosexual relationships. SERT integrates recent advances in neurobiology and the social context of emotion with social constructionist assumptions regarding the fluid and contextual nature of gender, culture, personal identities, and relationship patterns. It advances social constructionist practice through in-session experiential work focused on 4 conditions foundational to mutual support--mutual influence, shared vulnerability, shared relationship responsibility, and mutual attunement. In contrast to couple therapy models that mask power issues, therapist neutrality is not considered possible or desirable. Instead, therapists position themselves to counteract social inequalities. The paper illustrates how empathic engagement of a socio-culturally attuned therapist sets the stage for new socio-cultural experience as it is embodied neurologically and physically in the relationship and discusses therapy as societal intervention.