Couples

Paradoxically, it is the absence of anger, with all its positive aspects (see Chapter 4), that is most damaging in couple relationships because it results in the presence of rage (see Chapter 7) and all its negative consequences. This chapter summarises the origins of couple rage issues and, looking through the lens of the Karpman Drama Triangle (KDT) (Karpman, 1968), analyses how rage manifests in couple relationships. Finally, Jimmy and Mitch’s fictionalised therapy story is included, a composite of work with several couples, which demonstrates the use of the pot model (see Chapter 7) in assessing and contracting for rage issues, and describes elements of the therapeutic process, that supported them to address their ‘relentless bickering’.