ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews what one may know from research on couple processes and the research assessing couple therapy. Couple therapy has increased considerably in popularity in recent years among both clients and therapists. The two strands of research weave together, the research about couples pointing to differences between satisfied and dissatisfied couples that can serve as the foundation for pinpointing and enhancing the behavioral, cognitive, and affective skills that can lead to better relationships. The research on couple's relationship has helped identify the key foci for intervention in couple therapy. The research on couples processes and couple therapy now is filled with findings that have potential to impact clinical practice. If that body of work is small, it also is enormously significant. This work can point us toward foci for intervention and toward distinguishing those aspects of relationship life that might be thought to be problematic but are less related to relationship satisfaction.
