Weekly Outpatient Conjoint Treatment for Adult Psychopathology

Although adult psychopathology is typically treated with individual psychotherapy, these disorders often exist within an interpersonal context. Therefore, this chapter provides an overview of conjoint (or couple-based) interventions for adult psychological disorders, in which a romantic partner is included in weekly outpatient treatment to address one person’s psychopathology. The first section outlines evidence supporting this cognitive-behavioral, couple-based approach to psychotherapy, along with common clinical principles that can be employed across disorders. The following two sections demonstrate how these principles can address specific symptoms of two common disorders in outpatient settings—depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The empirical status of couple-based interventions for these disorders is briefly described, and unique clinical considerations for marginalized populations are considered. The chapter concludes with a case illustration demonstrating a course of treatment with a couple experiencing comorbid OCD, depression symptoms, and relationship distress.