The Anatomy of a Couples Therapy Session

Dr. Judith P. Leavitt is a senior clinician, licensed psychologist, and Diplomate Certified Sex Therapist with over 35 years of clinical experience. She has a private practice in Wayland, Massachusetts, where she works with individuals, couples, and families. At the William James College, a graduate college in psychology in Newton, Massachusetts, she is an adjunct faculty teaching Couples Therapy and Human Sexuality.

Introduction Section I: THE LEAD-IN 1. Starting off Section II: BEGINNING: The First 5 Minutes 2. Introduction and Open-ended or Structured Beginning 3. Other Important Factors at the Beginning 4. Bad Beginnings Section III: FINDING DIRECTION: 5-10 minutes 5. Overview 6. Issues in Finding Direction Section IV: ESTABLISHING THE WORK: 10-20 minutes 7. Introduction 8. Set up for the Work 9. The Developing Work: Productive, Trouble or Unproductive? Section V: FULL STEAM AHEAD: 15-40 minutes 10. Introduction 11. Difficult Couples Therapy Sessions 12. Classic Couples Therapy Sessions 13. Special Types of Couples Therapy Sessions 14. Deeper Couple Therapy Sessions 15. Intervention Exercises Section VI: PULLING IT TOGETHER: 35-45 minutes 16. Introduction and “Ahas” 17. Further Issues to Consider During Pulling It Together 18. Case Vignettes and Example for Pulling It Together 19. Obstacles during Pulling It Together Section VII: ENDING: 45-50 minutes 20. Wrapping up Section VIII: LEAVING 21. Departing Section IX: SUMMARY CASE STUDY 22. Case Study