Couples therapy by its very nature is a challenging and difficult task. Couples in therapy provide the therapist with two people with different personal history and with a frequently conflicted relational history. On top of this, Synder, Castellani and Whisman (2006) state that couple distress is among the most frequent concerns from people who go looking for help from mental help professionals. Client factors, those unique things clients bring with them into therapy, can have a tremendous impact on therapeutic outcomes. Various researchers suggest client factors may account for as high as 40% of the variability in outcomes (Lambert, 1992; Miller, Duncan, & Hubble, 1997; Wampold, 2001). This research explores two client factors and their impact on two therapeutic outcomes. The client factors are differentiation of self – as used in Bowen Family Systems Theory – and power. The therapeutic outcomes studied are relationship satisfaction and progress on the current problem.
Participants were recruited through the Ohio State University Couples and Family Therapy clinic. Data were collected at intake and following the first six sessions of therapy. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used to analyze the data. Multilevel modeling allows for analysis of the partners’ initial satisfaction level and trajectory of change in satisfaction while controlling for the nonindependence of scores that is inherent in examining couple relationships. In these models, change in marital satisfaction and progress on the presenting problem were used as dependent variables and initial levels of differentiation and/or power strategies from each partner were used as explanatory variables at level 2 of the model.
Results indicated that both power and differentiation provided some significant explanation for both baseline levels and changes in satisfaction and progress. Female differentiation and power variables were more consistently significant predictors for increases in both partners’ reports of satisfaction and progress. In addition, some interaction effects were significant for females differentiation level and power scores. Results suggest client factors of power and differentiation warrant further research and clinicians can be aided by assessment of both factors when working with couples