ABSTRACT
Strategic interventions can be used in conjunction with other theoretical approaches to couple and family therapy, provided the therapist has planned the intervention and is aware of its purpose and possible results within the system. Such interventions may be particularly useful in the early stages of couple work where the partners have capacity for growth and insight, but are and have been "stuck" in dysfunctional patterns of interaction. When I say a couple is "stuck," I am referring not only to a persistent pattern of reciprocity, but also to the words the couple uses to define their interaction (e.g., "She is not supportive of me and I have withdrawn from her to protect myself"). These descriptions often seem as though they are written in stone and usually have a "good spouse/bad spouse" bias to the definition. The strategic intervention is an assignment for an activity that is designed to alter or thwart the patterns but can also lead to a remythologizing of the definition of the relationship.
