In the field of marriage and family therapy, there is still more to learn about African Americans in couple therapy. The purpose of this study was to shed light on the lived experiences of African Americans in couple therapy. This qualitative method of inquiry is phenomenological and transcendental. Individual interviews of ten individuals, six women and four men who identified as previous or current participants in couple therapy were analyzed. In the results of this study, it was evident that African Americans endorse couple therapy, perceive culturalism to be an influential factor in their experiences, and view the influence of the therapeutic alliance as critical. When African Americans have a favorable relationship with their couple therapist their perspective of couple therapy and its usefulness is perceived positively. Couple therapy is shown to be a useful experience in facilitating relational, individual, and societal issues. The results of this study show a need for couple therapists working with this population to realize there is an inextricable link between the therapeutic alliance and the usefulness of couple therapy for African Americans.
Read
