Translation of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy to a Web-based Intervention

Couple therapy—across a number of different theoretical approaches—has been shown to be an effective treatment for a variety of individual and relationship difficulties. Moreover, recent studies have demonstrated that the effects of several approaches last at least 2–5 years after the end of treatment. However, couple therapy has a critical limitation: most distressed couples—including those who eventually divorce—do not seek couple therapy. Thus, although we recognize there are notable advances in the treatment approaches described in this special section, we argue that traditional approaches to couple therapy need to be supplemented by alternative interventions before we can make a profound, population‐level impact on relationship distress and divorce. To this end, we translated Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy into a self‐help, web‐based program—www.OurRelationship.com. Through a combination of tailored feedback, filmed examples, and interactive education, the online program first helps couples identify a core problem in their relationship. The program then assists partners in coming to a new and more accurate understanding of the problem they jointly identified and subsequently brings them together in a structured conversation to share their new understandings with each other. Finally, based on this shared conceptualization, the program supports couples in making concrete changes in their relationship. In this article, we discuss the rationale for the program, describe the core components of the website, and illustrate these components with a case example. Relative advantages and disadvantages compared with traditional couple therapy are presented. RESUMENSe ha demostrado que la terapia de pareja – a través de varios enfoques teóricos diferentes – es un tratamiento efectivo para diversas dificultades individuales y relacionales. Además, estudios recientes han demostrado que los efectos de varios enfoques duran por lo menos entre dos y cinco años después del final del tratamiento. Sin embargo, la terapia de pareja tiene una limitación fundamental: la mayoría de las parejas con problemas– incluidas aquellas que finalmente se divorcian – no recurren a la terapia de pareja. Por lo tanto, si bien reconocemos que existen avances notables en los enfoques de los tratamientos descritos en esta sección especial, sostenemos que los enfoques tradicionales de la terapia de pareja necesitan complementarse con intervenciones alternativas para que podamos causar