Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Couples' Experience Of Attachment-Related Change In Context Of Couple-Centered, Enactment-Based Therapy Process And Therapist-Centered Therapy Process: A Qualitative Study, James Waid Ballard

Theses and Dissertations

Enactments consist of episodes of direct couple engagement being carefully monitored and coached by the therapist. Enactments have been identified and studied as a potential common factor in marriage and family therapy. Attachment security is considered to be a foundational marker of marital health. This study explored what role enactments play in promoting attachment-related outcomes in therapy. A qualitative group hermeneutic approach was used to analyze the interviews of twelve participants (six couples) who had participated in six experimental sessions: three sessions with a preponderance of therapist-centered process and three of enactment-based process. The results of this analysis provide a …