Integrating Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Couple Therapy: A Couples Skills Group for Emotion Dysregulation

Given the reciprocal influences of emotion dysregulation and relationship functioning, it is important to target such emotional difficulties within an interpersonal context. Treating emotion dysregulation within intimate relationships can offer valuable opportunities for both emotional and relationship difficulties to be addressed. This paper reports the development and implementation of one such intervention, which helped couples to address both emotion dysregulation and relationship dynamics. Integrating dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive-behavioral couple therapy, this 16-week group intervention taught couples emotion regulation, communication, and problem-solving skills, and led them through an exploration of how strong feelings affect and are affected by their relationship. This paper provides a clinical description of this treatment, along with a case study and empirical data for this case.