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Research Perspectives in Couple Therapy

Discursive Qualitative Methods

  • Book
  • © 2016

Overview

Editors:
  1. Maria Borcsa

    1. Institute of Social Medicine, Rehabilitation Sciences and Healthcare Research, University of Applied Sciences, Nordhausen, Germany

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  2. Peter Rober

    1. Institute for Family & Sexuality Studies, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

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    You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Highlights a diverse range of qualitative methods
  • Discusses mixed method research in family therapy
  • Provides input for theory development and clinical practice
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
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  2. The Challenge: Tailoring Qualitative Process Research Methods for the Study of Marital and Family Therapeutic Sessions

    • Peter Rober, Maria Borcsa
    Pages 1-9

  3. The Couple Therapy of Victoria and Alfonso

    • Peter Rober, Maria Borcsa
    Pages 11-16

  4. The Development of Dialogical Space in a Couple Therapy Session

    • Peter Rober
    Pages 17-30

  5. Introducing Novelties into Therapeutic Dialogue: The Importance of Minor Shifts of the Therapist

    • Aarno Laitila
    Pages 31-46

  6. Therapists’ Responses for Enhancing Change Through Dialogue: Dialogical Investigations of Change

    • Jaakko Seikkula, Mary Olson
    Pages 47-69

  7. Fostering Dialogue: Exploring the Therapists’ Discursive Contributions in a Couple Therapy

    • Evrinomy Avdi
    Pages 71-87

  8. Dominant Story, Power, and Positioning

    • Helena Päivinen, Juha Holma
    Pages 89-104

  9. Latent Meaning Structures in Couple Relations: Introducing Objective Hermeneutics into Systemic Therapy Research

    • Maria Borcsa
    Pages 105-123

  10. Family Semantic Polarities and Positionings: A Semantic Analysis

    • Valeria Ugazio, Lisa Fellin
    Pages 125-148

  11. Constructing the Moral Order of a Relationship in Couples Therapy

    • Jarl Wahlström
    Pages 149-165

  12. About Complexity, Difference, and Process: Towards Integration and Temporary Closure

    • Maria Borcsa, Peter Rober
    Pages 167-172

  13. Back Matter

    Pages 173-176
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Keywords

About this book

In this powerful volume, six qualitative methods are used to analyze a couple therapy with a troubled young couple, illustrating the intricate processes and sub-processes of therapy through client interactions with their therapists and with each other. Increasingly popular for revealing the nuances and complexity of human interactions, qualitative approaches focus on process and discursive methods which can be particularly rewarding in multi-client settings. Through the examples that make up the text, practitioners and researchers become better acquainted  with the power of qualitative perspectives and are encouraged to examine their own views on therapy as they consider these and other concepts:


The development of dialogical space in a couple therapy session.

Introducing novelties into therapeutic dialogue: the importance of minor shifts of the therapist.

Therapists’ responses for enhancing change through dialogue: dialogical investigationsof change.

Fostering dialogue: exploring the therapists’ discursive contributions

in a couple therapy.

Dominant story, power, and positioning.

Constructing the moral order of a relationship in couples therapy.

Research Perspectives in Couple Therapy: Discursive Qualitative Methods ably demonstrates the balance between therapeutic art and science for family and couples therapists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals in research and practice.

Reviews

“First, the book is educational. It provides a brief overview of the theory and data analyses for a number of qualitative research methods that can be used to analyse the process of change in couple therapy. … Second, the book prompts reflection on our own understanding of the process of therapy, the ways meaning can be found through conversational processes, and the ways in which discursive analyses help us enhance our understanding of change in therapy.” (Jemima Petch, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, Vol. 38, June, 2017) 

Editors and Affiliations

  • Institute of Social Medicine, Rehabilitation Sciences and Healthcare Research, University of Applied Sciences, Nordhausen, Germany

    Maria Borcsa

  • Institute for Family & Sexuality Studies, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Peter Rober

About the editors

Maria Borcsa, Dipl.-Psych., PhD, is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Applied Sciences in Nordhausen, Germany. She is also a Licensed Psychological Psychotherapist and family therapist, trainer and supervisor. She has been board member of the Systemic Society (Systemische Gesellschaft), German Association for Systemic Research, Therapy, Supervision and Counselling; member and board member of the European Family Therapy Association (EFTA) (2007-2016), Chair of the Chamber of National Family Therapy Organizations of EFTA (2010-2013), and President of EFTA (2013-2016). Dr. Borcsa is also a founding member of the Institute for Social Medicine, Health Care Research and Rehabilitation Sciences at University of Nordhausen; Co-editor of the scientific journals “Systeme” (2001 -2014) and “Psychotherapie im Dialog” (2007-2018), member of the Editorial Board of  the journals "Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology", “Contemporary Family Therapy”,Associate Editor of the “Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy” and Advisory Editor of “Family Process”. 



Peter Rober Ph.D., Professor in Clinical Psychology at Leuven University (KU Leuven), Belgium. He is a family therapist, supervisor and family therapy trainer. His research focus is on family therapy and family communication (e.g. family secrecy, selective disclosure, dialogical space, …). He has written four books in Dutch and has published several articles in international journals on family therapy and qualitative research.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Research Perspectives in Couple Therapy

  • Book Subtitle: Discursive Qualitative Methods

  • Editors: Maria Borcsa, Peter Rober

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23306-2

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and Psychology, Behavioral Science and Psychology (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-23305-5Published: 22 December 2015

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-79468-6Published: 30 March 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-23306-2Published: 15 December 2015

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIII, 176

  • Number of Illustrations: 10 b/w illustrations, 143 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Clinical Psychology, Family, Psychotherapy

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