ABSTRACT
Establishing a therapeutic relationship is the first task that faces the analytic couple therapist. The checklist presented in the chapter was constructed from a summary of the assessment form in use at the Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships. The couple relationship is about supporting the differentiation of each of the members and this personal growth comes back to enrich the couple and any children they may raise. The couple and the individual therapist accepted the recommendation. Rose and Winston began couple therapy at the clinic. Other couple therapists in private practice may choose to use a twenty-four-hour cancellation policy. Those who work in clinics obviously must follow the policy established by the clinic administration. The therapeutic relationship is the frame for the work and the focus of the work. Intimacy is hard for them, and so it is hard to establish an intimate therapeutic relationship.
