Couples Therapy Paper

Couples Therapy Demonstration Self-Evaluation: Adam & Steve Session 3
What were you (and your co-therapist) trying to accomplish during this counseling session? Stephanie and I were attempting to maintain a structured counseling session that would incorporate previous sessions and advance the utilization of the couple’s treatment plan. We started the session by recapping the last session and bringing back an element that helped the couple strengthen their bond. Accordingly, we also wanted to make sure that the couple was doing their homework because Couple Power Therapy (CPT) builds upon itself to co-create the evolving couple which is an ongoing process. Since the couple had worked on the beginning foundation of commitment, we wanted to
The couple did not seem to be cooperating well because the couple did not seem to know how to ask each other for help. The counselors wanted to model and teach the clients how to make requests and agreements respectfully and lovingly, so their commitment to their common goal for the relationship could be met.
Describe what occurred during the counseling session and your perspective of what you actually did as the therapist in the session: what were the processes, techniques, and skills that you used during the session? How did you facilitate the session?
In order to reintroduce the element that the couple enjoyed and found effective in helping them bond, we opened the therapy session with a mindfulness exercise that had them face each other and look into each other’s eyes. This technique helped the couple to relax, feel connected, and it signaled to the couple that it was time to participate in the counseling
This session is only the second session beside the intake and neither the counselors nor the couple has brought up diversity issues. Yet, there is an underlying issue of the diverse religious background that keeps the couple at different levels of being “out” about their sexual identity. This is one of the main reasons the couple has come to counseling. The counselors are trying to create a safe place for the couple to share their concerns intimately and are still laying the foundation for the therapeutic relationship by demonstrating respect and empathy. This session was about talking about the acceptance of different world views; however, the focus was on the mechanics of communication/cooperation and not on context. In the future, the counselors must bring in the diverse issues into the context of the session and the clients presenting