The Intercultural Exeter Couples Model Making Connections for a Divided World Through Systemic-Behavioral Therapy

Increase the efficacy of your treatment interventions in intercultural couples therapy 

The Intercultural Exeter Couples Model: Making Connections for a Divided World Through Systemic-Behavioral Therapy provides practitioners with a thorough guide to effectively treating intercultural couples. The book consists of a systematic effort to translate systemic ideas that take into account a cultural perspective into a highly useable and practical form. 

The Intercultural Exeter Couples Model also attempts to marry two, often distinct, forms of practice: the systemic and the behavioral. Both approaches have much to contribute to effective couples’ counselling but they are often theoretically siloed. This book demonstrates the value of using both approaches simultaneously. 

This book provides concrete and practical strategies for implementing systemic and behavioral approaches to intercultural couples’ therapy in a manner consistent with clinical best practice. Rather than ignoring the significant and complex impacts that differing cultures can have on a relationship, The Intercultural Exeter Couple Model puts those differences front and center, encouraging the therapist to engage with the cultural mismatch that can be at the core of many couples’ ongoing friction. 

The book’s chapters tackle both the model itself and a variety of interventions, covering topics including: 

• Teaching couples how to break patterns and prepare them to establish new ones 
• Training couples to communicate effectively 
• Establishing new modes of behavior in couples 
• An explanation of empathic bridging maneuvers 
• A description of the use of life-space explorations  

Perfect for clinicians, students, and professors interested in or practicing in the field of couples’ therapy, The Intercultural Exeter Couples Model provides readers with an in-depth exploration of an increasingly important model of couples therapy and describes, in painstaking detail, the interventions necessary to achieve positive patient outcomes. 

Janet Reibstein is a psychologist, psychotherapist, and family therapist. She is Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Exeter. She has authored six books and several articles on a variety of subjects, and contributed to radio and television documentary series. 

Reenee Singh is the CEO of Association of Family Therapy and Systemic Practice, UK and Founding Director, London Intercultural Couples Centre at the Child and Family Practice. She is also co-director of the Tavistock Family Therapy and Systemic Research Centre and visiting Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Bergamo, Italy. 

PART 1 The Model and Its Development 1

Chapter 1 Introduction 3

Chapter 2 The Wider Context of the Intercultural Exeter Model 15

Chapter 3 The Fulcrum of the Method: The CBT/Systemic Couples Maintenance Cycle 23

Chapter 4 Clinical Practice with Intercultural Couples: Themes and Processes 33

PART 2 The Interventions 43

PART 2A The Systemic-Behavioral Interventions 47

Chapter 5 Circularities: Breaking Patterns and Setting the Scene for Establishing New Ones 49

Chapter 6 Communication Training 59

Chapter 7 Behavioral Action Interventions 71

PART 2B Systemic-Empathic Interventions 77

Chapter 8 Empathic Bridging Maneuvers 79

Chapter 9 Life-Space Explorations 91

Chapter 10 A Final Word: The Therapist’s Experience in Intercultural Couples Work 103

References 109

Author Index 115

Subject Index 117