A Pilot Study of Solution-Focused Brief Therapeutic Intervention for Couples

A program was set to provide two 2-hour relationship consultations for couples. The purpose of this program was to attract couples that would not normally seek traditional therapy and/or relationship enrichment programs. The consultations were scheduled a month apart and were designed to be collaborative; the couple offered ideas for behaviors that they wanted to work on. Before the first consultation, each individual filled out several questionnaires about their relationship. In the initial session, the consultant reviewed the results with the couple pointing out the strengths of the couple. In addition, during the initial session, the couple also collaboratively created goals with the consultant. The second consultation was scheduled for a month later to give the couple an opportunity to work on the goals. In the second consultation the couple reviewed progress and restructured their goals. Several measures were used to determine if the program helped couples improve their relationship satisfaction, communication skills, and individual functioning.