ABSTRACT
It would be erroneous to assume that all presenting problems for which couples
enter treatment represent a collusive defense, but the therapist should consider
that such might be the case for some. Pretreatment assessments, personal histories,
and each spouse’s version of the couple’s relationship history can help the therapist
make this determination in many cases. Sometimes the couple’s core issues and
confl icts (which the presenting problem is meant to conceal) may not become
apparent until the couple has been in treatment for some time. Whenever it is
determined that the presenting problem is indeed a collusive defense, the therapist
must decide how to proceed. The following two case examples offer some sugges-
tions for dealing with this very sensitive issue.
