ABSTRACT

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide (World Health Organization, 2001) . It is estimated that during a given year, nearly 7% of adults in the United States will experience a serious episode of depression and nearly 6 in 10 of those will experience severe or very severe impairment (Kessler et al ., 2003) . Over a 15-year span, people with unipolar depression have been found to be virtually unable to carry out their work functions for 21% of the time (Judd et al ., 2008) . In the United States, less than a quarter of people with serious depression receive adequate treatment, whether medication or psychotherapy (Kessler et al ., 2003) . Clearly, there is a great need for effective treatments of depression . Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) for couples (Johnson, 2004) offers a unique approach to alleviating the suffering of those struggling with depression and their partners, who share in this isolating journey .