ABSTRACT
Couple and family therapists recognized the importance of intervening with cognitive factors, as well as with behavioral interaction patterns, long before most major theories of family therapy came into existence. During the 1980s, cognitive factors became an increasing focus in the couple research and therapy literature, and cognitions were addressed in a more direct and systematic way than in other theoretical approaches to family therapy. Substantial empirical evidence has accumulated from treatment outcome studies indicating the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral couple therapy, although most studies have focused primarily on behavioral interventions and only a handful examined the impact of cognitive restructuring procedures. Conceptions of the cognitive processes that can influence the quality of close relationships have been informed by basic theory and research on human information processing. Cognitive psychology literature has contributed to cognitive-behavioral therapists’ awareness of potential sources of distortion in their clients’ cognitions about events, including those that occur in their couple and family relationships.
