Text

theses

With increased globalization, immigration, and technological advances worldwide, the number of intercultural couples is growing rapidly in the United States. Despite the proliferation of intercultural relationships, limited research exists to guide therapists in the treatment of intercultural couples. This qualitative study aimed to explore couple therapists’ experience of implementing emotionally focused couples therapy (EFT), an evidence-based treatment, with intercultural couples. Exploratory questions unveiled participants’ own cultural background and whether it informed their beliefs about EFT and attachment, when and how cultural differences arise in treatment, whether common themes or patterns emerged among these couples, what interventions were used to address cultural differences and whether these interventions were inherent to EFT, how couples responded to these interventions, whether EFT is helpful in addressing cultural differences, and what advice they would give to therapists using EFT with intercultural couples. As hypothesized, it was found that (1) EFT was considered helpful with intercultural couples, given its emphasis on attachment, vulnerability, openness, curiosity, and individual uniqueness; (2) participants noticed common themes that arose among intercultural couples; and (3) participants found it helpful to actively inquire about and incorporate into treatment an awareness of cultural difference. Six major themes also emerged: (1) perceived “gaps” in therapists’ cultures of origin attracted them to EFT, particularly that their cultures lacked emotional engagement; (2) intercultural couples present with common themes with regard to cultural differences in extended family involvement, emotional engagement, gender role expectations, and childrearing practices; (3) cultural differences impact both relationship conflict and the therapeutic alliance, but these differences and their impact are often outside awareness; (4) exploring cultural differences often further illuminates partners’ experience of attachment and emotion; (5) therapists are flexible when intervening to address cultural differences, and couples respond positively; and (6) therapists believe EFT is helpful in addressing cultural differences with intercultural couples because of its emphasis on an open and curious stance, accessing vulnerability, and using the attachment frame. Taken together, these study findings suggest that EFT shows promise as an effective treatment with intercultural couples, provided that EFT is enhanced by existing multicultural models that explicitly address cultural differences. A new culturally sensitive model for EFT is proposed, and limitations and implications for research are discussed.

ETD_6440

Psy.D.

Includes bibliographical references

by Pacita Manglapus Maynigo

doi:10.7282/T3WW7KMW

ETD doctoral

The author owns the copyright to this work.