ABSTRACT
The foundation of equal partnership appears grounded in the creation of a deep friendship, supported by shared power and mutual empowerment of both partners. Two further themes were located that together can comprise an integrated model of equal partnership and form treatment goals for couples. The egalitarian couples interviewed had to overcome gender differences in communication in order to create a relationship system based on friendship. In addition, they had to create a coherent ideology of values concerning their relationship, their family and their community. These two themes will be described next. A discussion of the way that these themes interact and the manner in which they form treatment goals will pave the way for the next chapters on the treatment methods.
