Treatment Agreement and Relapse Prevention Strategies in Couple and Family Therapy

Abstract

This commentary examines treatment practices involving treatment adherence and relapse prevention strategies for couples. Treatment adherence and relapse prevention involves the identification and maintenance of positive counseling outcomes during treatment and posttreatment. A comprehensive review of literature and professional experiences is used to illuminate best practices of working with couples to sustain treatment gains. It is concluded that effective relationships and explicit attention to change along the continuum of care are essential for couples to maintain successful treatment interventions. In addition, therapists incorporating follow-up procedures into their practice can increase the efficacy of their interventions by clearly addressing developmental problems that follow the end of the therapeutic relationship.

Families' experience of harmony and disharmony in systemic psychotherapy and its effects on family life

“…These investigations concluded that treatment gains from family‐based therapies were maintained at 6 months (Li et al ., 2007; Trowell et al ., 2007) to a year (Nickel et al ., 2006) or 2 years later (Sutherland, 2005). Interestingly, after a comprehensive review of literature and professional experiences, Carlson and Ellis (2004) concluded that the best practices of working with couples to sustain treatment gains included (i) nurturing effective therapeutic relationships,(ii) paying explicit attention to change, and (iii) incorporating follow‐up procedures to address problems that emerge after the end of the therapeutic relationship.…”