Research Perspectives in Couple Therapy

Maria Borcsa, Dipl.-Psych., PhD, is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Applied Sciences in Nordhausen, Germany. She is also a Licensed Psychological Psychotherapist and family therapist, trainer and supervisor. She has been board member of the Systemic Society (Systemische Gesellschaft), German Association for Systemic Research, Therapy, Supervision and Counselling; member and board member of the European Family Therapy Association (EFTA) (2007-2016), Chair of the Chamber of National Family Therapy Organizations of EFTA (2010-2013), and President of EFTA (2013-2016). Dr. Borcsa is also a founding member of the Institute for Social Medicine, Health Care Research and Rehabilitation Sciences at University of Nordhausen; Co-editor of the scientific journals “Systeme” (2001 -2014) and “Psychotherapie im Dialog” (2007-2018), member of the Editorial Board of  the journals "Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology", “Contemporary Family Therapy”,Associate Editor of the “Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy” and Advisory Editor of “Family Process”. Peter Rober Ph.D., Professor in Clinical Psychology at Leuven University (KU Leuven), Belgium. He is a family therapist, supervisor and family therapy trainer. His research focus is on family therapy and family communication (e.g. family secrecy, selective disclosure, dialogical space, …). He has written four books in Dutch and has published several articles in international journals on family therapy and qualitative research.

• The Challenge: Tailoring Qualitative Process Research Methods for the Study of Marital and Family Therapeutic Sessions.- The Couple Therapy of Victoria and Alfonso.- The Development of Dialogical Space in a Couple Therapy Session.- Introducing Novelties into Therapeutic Dialogue: The Importance of Minor Shifts of the Therapist.- Fostering Dialogue: Exploring the Therapists' Discursive Contributions in Couple Therapy.- Dominant Story, Power and Positioning.- Latent Meaning Structures in Couple Relations: Introducing Objective Hermeneutics into Systemic Therapy Research.- Family Semantic Polarities and Positionings: A Semantic Analysis.- Constructing the Moral Order of a Relationship in Couples Therapy.- About Complexity, Difference, and Process: Towards Integration and Temporary Closure.

“First, the book is educational. It provides a brief overview of the theory and data analyses for a number of qualitative research methods that can be used to analyse the process of change in couple therapy. … Second, the book prompts reflection on our own understanding of the process of therapy, the ways meaning can be found through conversational processes, and the ways in which discursive analyses help us enhance our understanding of change in therapy.” (Jemima Petch, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, Vol. 38, June, 2017)