Enactments and Couples' Secure Attachment: An Empirical Investigation of Enactments as an Effective Change Mechanism in Couple Therapy
Mark H. Butler,
Family Life
Marriage and Family therapists utilize relationships to bring about change in family processes. Recent therapeutic advances suggest that enactments are an effective means for change in couple therapy - independent of theory, model, or problem (Butler & Bird, 2000). Enactments provide intervention in behalf of couples' interaction process by directing couples to speak to each other, with guidance when necessary, instead of interacting and realizing change through the therapist.
The enactment-anchored therapist carefully coaches interaction process, helping the couple develop new interaction patterns of relating. Enactments thus enable therapists to target couples' processes (Butler & Gardner, 2003). New, more attachment-supportive interactions emerge which increases couples' security - a foundation for overcoming and avoiding personal and couple distress (Johnson, 2004; Butler & Gardner, 2003). While enactment advocates (cf. Butler, Gardner, Davis, Seedall, Brimhall, and Mitchell) propose that appropriately conducted enactments strengthen secure attachment, little empirical evidence exists to support their theoretical claims, especially quantitative evidence. This study aims to empirically test whether enactments do indeed increase desired outcomes in relationship therapy, particularly couples' secure attachment.
