Cognitive-Behavioral and Emotion-Focused Couple Therapy: Similarities and Differences

Abstract: Background: Couples and families often seek therapy to deal with relational distress, which is a result of external or internal factors of the relationship. Two approaches are acknowledged to be most effective in dealing with relationship distress or psychological disorders in couples: (a) cognitive behavioral couple therapy with new directions (CBCT) and (b) emotion-focused couple therapy (EFCT). In this article we investigate how much CBCT and EFCT really differ with regard to working with emotions, which is claimed to be a major focus of EFCT, and whether there exist significant differences in efficacy between these two approaches. Method: This article critically reviews the theoretical background, process, techniques and outcomes associated with CBCT and EFCT in an effort to challenge the assumptions noted above. Results: There is no evidence that EFCT is more emotion-focused than CBCT. Both approaches were repeatedly examined with RCT studies with follow-ups. In sum, no signif.... https://cpe.psychopen.eu/index.php/cpe/article/view/2741

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Cognitive-Behavioral and Emotion-Focused Couple Therapy: Similarities and Differences ; volume:2 ; number:3 ; day:30 ; month:09 ; year:2020 ; Clinical psychology in Europe ; 2, Heft 3 (30.09.2020)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Bodenmann, Guy ; Mirjam Kessler ; Rebekka Kuhn ; Lauren Hocker ; Ashley K. Randall

Further information

• DOI: 10.32872/cpe.v2i3.2741
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2020101416100052734928
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:59 AM CEST