The Monster in Between: Working with Couples in Intensive Group Treatment

ABSTRACT

In this article we elaborate on an inpatient clinical group program for couples suffering from nonpsychotic psychiatric disorders, personality disorders, and/or complex partner relational problems. In general, one of the partners has a long history in mental health care. The intervention history often includes at least some sessions of couple therapy but without sufficient success. These couples are part of that group of mental health patients that can be described as, or describe themselves as, “everything was done but nothing really helped.” The clinical inpatient couple group program was initiated in 1991 and to date (February 2004) 415 couples have been treated in 91 groups. Although our Center for Relational Problems is situated in a rural area in the northern part of the Netherlands, these couples are referred from all over the country. This proves that there is a need for highly intensive couple treatment in an inpatient setting. Nevertheless, as far as we know, this type of treatment does not exist anywhere else in the world. In this article we give details of the program and the rationale behind it.