Developmental couple therapy for complex trauma: Results of an implementation pilot study

Abstract

This pilot study examined the process and outcome of Developmental Couple Therapy for Complex Trauma (DCTCT) with seven couples. DCTCT is a novel form of couple therapy designed to address complex posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology and couple-level distress in trauma survivors and their partners. These couples showed statistically significant improvements in overall trauma symptoms, emotion regulation capacities, and reductions in attachment-related anxiety. These results suggest that DCTCT may be a promising approach to intervention. Future directions include the development of a sequential care model, because resource limitations may not allow for all couples to receive the full treatment model over 40 weeks; it will also be important to address measurement issues in relation to mentalizing, to allow for observational coding across the course of therapy.