A Proposal for Including Distance Writing in Couple Therapy

This proposal introduces distance writing as an alternative approach, by itself or supplementary to face-to-face talk-based therapies, to help couples who want to change destructively repetitive patterns in their relationships in order to improve them. This proposal is based on advances in (1) compu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of couple & relationship therapy 2008-10, Vol.7 (4), p.337-362
Main Author: L'Abate, Luciano
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
couple therapy
Distance writing
homework assignments
practice exercises
successive stages in therapy
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Summary:This proposal introduces distance writing as an alternative approach, by itself or supplementary to face-to-face talk-based therapies, to help couples who want to change destructively repetitive patterns in their relationships in order to improve them. This proposal is based on advances in (1) computers and the Internet, (2) increased use of homework assignments, (3) growth of written homework practice exercises, and (4) low-cost approaches to promote physical and mental health. Three successive stages are proposed: (1) therapists' initial face-to-face session with preliminary assignment of written tasks, (2) couples completing task assignments and written homework practice exercises (on the Internet, fax, or mail) as being contingent on continuing to seeing the therapist, and (3) couples meeting to talk face-to-face with the therapist after completion of assigned tasks.
ISSN:1533-2691
1533-2683
DOI:10.1080/15332690802368410