Evidence-Based: A New Harbinger Psychology Podcast
Quick Tips for Therapists: What to Do When Couples Therapy Clients Come into the Session Escalated in Their Negative Cycle
May 8, 2025
Two experienced therapists share essential strategies for handling couples in crisis. They discuss identifying and breaking negative cycles that destroy relationships. The focus is on self-regulation for therapists to foster healthier interactions. Techniques for addressing emotional distress and understanding vulnerabilities are highlighted. The importance of therapist self-care is also emphasized, ensuring effective support for clients. This insightful conversation offers valuable tools for enhancing couples therapy and rebuilding connections.
04:09
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Therapists should identify and acknowledge the negative interaction patterns in couples to facilitate a shift towards constructive communication.
- Encouraging clients to express their underlying vulnerabilities fosters empathy, helping partners reconnect by understanding each other's emotional truths.
Deep dives
Managing Escalated Negative Cycles in Couples Therapy
In couples therapy, clients may arrive in a heightened state of conflict, displaying behaviors such as criticism, blaming, or withdrawal. To effectively intervene, therapists should first identify and acknowledge this negative interaction pattern, also known as the negative cycle, and encourage clients to shift their approach. By pressing the pause button, therapists create an opportunity for new interactions that help the clients reconnect and step away from destructive behaviors. This reframing emphasizes the importance of fighting for the relationship rather than against each other, fostering a more constructive therapeutic environment.
