Common Factors in Couple and Family Therapy The Overlooked Foundation for Effective Practice

Grounded in theory, research, and extensive clinical experience, this pragmatic book addresses critical questions of how change occurs in couple and family therapy and how to help clients achieve better results. The authors show that regardless of a clinician's orientation or favored techniques, there are particular therapist attributes, relationship variables, and other factors that make therapy--specifically, therapy with couples and families--effective. The book explains these common factors in depth and provides hands-on guidance for capitalizing on them in clinical practice and training. User-friendly features include numerous case examples and a reproducible common factors checklist.

Douglas H. Sprenkle, PhD, is Director of the Doctoral Program in Marriage and Family Therapy at Purdue University and Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy within the Department of Child Development and Family Studies. Widely published, Dr. Sprenkle is past Editor of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. He is the recipient of honors including the Osborne Award for outstanding teaching from the National Council on Family Relations and the Significant Contribution to Family Therapy Award from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).

Sean D. Davis, PhD, is Associate Professor and Site Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Alliant International University’s campus in Sacramento, California, as well as an approved supervisor and clinical member of AAMFT. Dr. Davis serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. His research, clinical, and teaching interests focus on common factors and bridging the scientist-practitioner gap in marriage and family therapy. Dr. Davis has published several journal articles and books and maintains a private practice.

Jay L. Lebow, PhD, is Clinical Professor of Psychology at the Family Institute at Northwestern University. He has conducted clinical practice, supervision, and research on couple and family therapy for over 30 years. He is board certified in family psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology and is an approved supervisor of AAMFT. Dr. Lebow is the author of numerous publications on the interface of research and practice and the practice of integrative couple and family therapy.

1. What Is Responsible for Therapeutic Change?: Two Paradigms

2. A Brief History of Common Factors

3. Common Factors Unique to Couple and Family Therapy

4. The Big-Picture View of Common Factors

5. A Moderate View of Common Factors

6. Getting Clients Fired Up for a Change: Matching Therapist Behavior with Client Motivation

7. A Strong Therapeutic Alliance

8. Models: All Roads Lead to Rome

9. A Meta-Model of Change in Couple Therapy

10. The Case against Common Factors

11. Common-Factors Training and Supervision

12. Implications for Clinicians and Researchers

Appendix A: Moderate Common-Factors Supervision Checklist

Appendix B: Instruments from Other Authors Related to Common Factors