Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects
Date of Award
2022
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Advisor
Christopher Burnett
Abstract
Working with high-conflict couples can take a toll on therapists. There is ample literature surrounding suggestions on managing high-conflict couples (Mutchler, 2017; Zimmerman, 2019) and literature regarding different theories stating to be efficient (Cohen & Levite, 2012; Finney & Tadros, 2019; Yektatalab et al., 2017). Authors have explored therapists' experiences working with couples (Olmstead et al., 2009; Poulson, 2003), but there is minimal qualitative research attuning to the therapists' experiences as they engage with high-conflict couples. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of marriage and family therapists (MFTs) who work with high-conflict couples. I engaged in purposeful sampling to recruit marriage and family therapists who are currently working with or have worked with high-conflict couples. I conducted semi-structured interviews to explore the therapists' experiences with these couples and used interpretative phenomenological analysis to organize and analyze the data. I interpreted the results with Bowen family systems theory as my conceptual lens. Based on the participant’s responses, I developed three themes and nine subthemes. The first theme was family of origin, with three subthemes: conflict management, influence of family dynamics, and triangulation. The second theme, concept of time, also had three subthemes: challenges, then vs. now, and slowing down. The last theme, internal processes had the subthemes: capacity for curiosity, use of empathy, and emotional intelligence. The results suggest that the therapeutic system influences both the therapist and the couple. A significant implication of this study is the importance of self-exploration and awareness.
NSUWorks Citation
Jetlexis Carlos. 2022. Venezuelan Parents’ Experiences Supporting Their First-Generation Immigrant Children in Applying to College in the United States. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, . (100)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dft_etd/100.