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That couples therapy works and works well is without
question. What is less clear, however, is why
couples therapy works. Research clearly shows that
the unique ingredients of any one couples therapy
model contribute very little to successful clinical
outcomes. What, then, makes couples therapy
effective? In this award-winning study, Dr. Davis
makes the claim that although each couples therapy
model has characteristics that distinguish it from
other models, much of what therapists are doing in
the therapy room is the same. This study represents
one of the first empirical attempts to not only
outline what those similarities are, but to present
these "golden threads" in an empirically derived
meta-model of couples therapy. Data for the study
were derived from interviews with prominent couples
therapy model developers Dr. Susan Johnson
About the author
Sean D. Davis is an Associate Professor and Site Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Alliant International University, Sacramento, California. An award-winning researcher, Dr. Davis has published several books and journal articles on common factors in couple and family therapy. He can be reached at sdavis2@alliant.edu.
