Interventions focusing on the couple

Marital intervention may focus on helping couples solve conflicts without recourse to escalating angry exchanges which are displaced onto the child. Four components typify effective couples work (Carr & McNulty, in press b). These are communication skills training, problem-solving skills training, behavioural exchange training and coaching in affective self-disclosure, empathy and development of insight into relational patterns which under-pin discord, violence and dissatisfaction.