A Conjugal Curriculum Vitae Method: Behavioral Assessment and Treatment of Marital Problems

Abstract

This method of assessment and treatment of marital problems focuses on the couple's perception of their happy marital experiences and on the interpretation of their current marital problematic status. Each spouse is asked to describe individually his evaluation of his marital status in terms of what he liked in the course of his marital life, what he was less fond of regarding his marital life, and what his opinions are regarding the reasons which might have led him to his actual problematic marital situation. It has been assumed that this method provides relevant information enabling both therapist and couple to construct a meaningful profile of behavioral deficits and assets and the recollection of past happy experiences helps to build new cognitive and emotional expectations. Treatment is behaviorally oriented, enabling a couple to make a connection between their past happy experiences and the desired future outcome. It also helps increase such positive attitudes as communication, availability, functional consensus, marital creativity, and decrease the manipulative attitude. Five couples were accepted for the treatment and a mean of 13 sessions were held in the spring of 1987. One couple dropped out after two sessions. Two follow-up and two posttests (Locke-Wallace) showed good maintenance of therapeutic gains.

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