ABSTRACT
Couples may very well be the most difficult patient population for any therapist. This is interesting, because the individuals comprising the couple may, independently, be quite amenable to treatment and treatable for the range of psychological disorders. However, when these individuals are combined as a couple there appears to be a synergistic effect of difficulty and resistance. This comes about, in large part, because of the context for therapy, the emotional valence of the problem, and the reason for referral.
