Opinions vary on whether the first sessions are only for data gathering, and what a therapist should do if the couple presents with a crisis. In our view, a huge mistake in therapy land is to proceed as usual with your normal intake process when you learn of a recent critical incident. This nuanced video
We can get so caught up with assessing the couple’s problems and their backstory that we lose sight of something fundamental: they chose to come for help now, at this moment, instead of earlier or waiting till later. This video addresses the “why now?” question, which gets at urgency and how much energy both people
There are two commitment issues we assess in the session one (and sometimes other sessions when commitment ambivalence shows up). One is commitment to the marriage or relationship, and the other is commitment to the therapy.We believe that if commitment ambivalence is spoken or implied, we must immediately address it. This video goes into this