Rachel B. Tambling

The Development of a Reliable Change Index and Cutoff for the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale

The Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS; Busby, Crane, Larson, & Christensen, 1995) is a measure of couple relationship adjustment that is often used to differentiate between distressed and non-distressed couples. While the measure currently allows for a determination of whether group mean scores change significantly across administrations, it lacks the ability to determine whether an individuals change in dyadic adjustment is clinically significant. This study addresses this limitation by establishing a cutoff of 47.31 and reliable change index of 11.58 for the RDAS by pooling data across multiple community and clinical samples. An individual whose score on the RDAS moves across the cutoff changes by 12 or more points can be classified as experiencing clinically significant change.

Client Expectations About Couple Therapy

Little is known about the role of expectations in couple therapy. This manuscript provides the results of a qualitative inquiry into client expectations about couple therapy. Participants were 26 individuals representing 13 couples in couple therapy. Participants participated in semi-structured interviews four times: before the first, and after the second, third, and fourth sessions of therapy. Results of a discovery-focused qualitative content analysis of interview data suggested that participants formed pre-therapy expectations about their therapist, the therapy process, and the outcome of therapy. Expectations were generally stable over time, with most participants experiencing the confirmation of their expectations.

The Intersection of Therapy Constructs: The Relationship Between Motivation to Change, Distress, Referral Source, and Pressure to Attend

Psychotherapy is a generally effective form of mental health treatment, yet difficulties with engagement continue to plague the field. Poor outcomes, including premature termination, are more likely to be achieved by poorly motivated clients (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1992) and highly distressed individuals and couples (Tambling & Johnson, 2008). This study examined links between motivation to change, initial levels of distress, referral source, and pressure to attend therapy in an archival sample of 587 people who attended therapy. Results indicated a relationship between distress and motivation and between the perceived pressure felt by a client and motivation to change.

Analyzing Dyadic Data From Small Samples A Pooled Regression Actor–Partner Interdependence Model Approach

The authors describe an approach to analyzing dyadic data that can be utilized with the smaller samples often available to researcher–practitioners working with couples in counseling. Specifically, the authors describe how to use the actor–partner interdependence model (APIM), a common dyadic data analysis tool, using a pooled regression approach that is appropriate for smaller sample sizes. An example is provided using data collected from a study of the role of expectancies in couple counseling outcomes. Additional data from the example study are provided in Appendix A for interested readers who want to practice the techniques they describe.

Examining Attachment Avoidance and Attachment Anxiety Across Eight Sessions of Couple Therapy

This study examined initial levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance, as well as their patterns of change, across eight sessions of couple therapy. Participants were 461 couples in a treatment-as-usual setting. Dyadic latent growth modeling was used to determine whether couples started therapy at similar levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance and whether attachment anxiety and avoidance changed. An actor partner interdependence model was used to see whether partner attachment anxiety was related to avoidance. Results showed relative stability of attachment anxiety and avoidance over the course of therapy, with the only change being a slight decline in attachment anxiety among women. Results showed that a persons attachment anxiety was not related to their partners avoidance and vice versa.

Expectations About Couple Therapy: A Qualitative Investigation

Little is known about clients’ expectations about couple therapy. The present study provides the qualitative results of a mixed-methods investigation into client expectations about couple therapy. Participants were 20 individuals from 10 couples enrolled in couple therapy. Participants were interviewed with their partner prior to the first session of couple therapy using a semi-structured interview. Results of the qualitative content analysis of interview data indicated that couple members formed pre-therapy expectations about their therapist, the therapy process, therapy topics, partner behavior, and therapy outcomes. Expectations were fairly consistent across couples, with some diversity in expectations specific to couples’ presenting problems.

Dyadic Adjustment and Depressive Symptoms The Mediating Role of Attachment

The present study examines adult attachment as a mediator, explaining the association between dyadic adjustment and depressive symptoms. Participants included 188 women and 35 men (N = 223) with a mean age of 28.9 years (SD = 9.95 years; range = 18–66 years). Results replicated previous research by demonstrating a significant association between poor relationship adjustment and depressive symptoms. However, the authors extended prior work identifying avoidance as a mediator of the relationship between each Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) subscale (i.e., Satisfaction, Consensus, and Cohesion) and symptoms of depression. On the other hand, attachment anxiety mediated only the relationship between the cohesion subscale of the RDAS and depressive symptoms but was not influential in the association between satisfaction or consensus and symptoms of depression. Implications for the clinical treatment of depression among adults are discussed.

Preferences of Individuals in Committed Relationships About Premarital Counseling

Premarital educational and counseling programs provide one way of addressing many of the risk factors associated with couple distress and divorce. Unfortunately, few couples who are offered premarital programming engage in the programs offered. This study examined preferences for premarital programming in a sample of individuals in committed relationships who intended to marry the current partner. Results suggested that premarital counseling conducted by a therapist and of short duration, following engagement, was most preferred. The most preferred topics/contents were related to communication and conflict resolution.

Pleasure-Centered Educational Program: A Comprehensive Approach to Pleasure-Oriented Sexuality Education in Domestic Violence Shelters

ABSTRACT Women in a domestic violence shelter in Georgia were recruited to participate in a series of comprehensive, sex-positive, educational workshops. The purpose of the series was to provide a place for survivors of domestic violence to discuss positive and negative aspects of their previous sexual experiences and to offer a forum in which all aspects of sexuality, including pleasurable sexuality, could be discussed. The focus of the program was to educate women in the group on a wide array of topics from negative sexual rights (e.g., the right to be protected from or ability to protect oneself from sexually transmitted infections) to positive sexual rights (e.g., the right to experience pleasure). The program was based on previous strengths-based educational formats and tools. Positive feedback from informants included the applicability, accessibility, and engaging format of the program. Women reported that this program was informative and structured in a way that safely encouraged open discussions among participants, as well as encouraged open dialogue with their children.

Client-Reported-Presenting Problems at an MFT Clinic

It is useful for clinicians and researchers to know why clients present for therapy in order to devise effective treatments. Using a feminist-informed, client-centered framework, this study provides information about clients’ perspectives on key presenting problems using self-report data from individuals, families, couples, and high-conflict coparenting dyads from a university-based counseling center. Clients most frequently reported anxiety/stress as the chief presenting problem. A number of people listed having been coerced into treatment or someone else’s problem as their chief concern. Common presenting problems varied by modality and were associated with the clients’ perceived pressure to attend therapy, readiness to change, dyadic adjustment, anxiety, and depression.