APA Paper Problem Areas

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1 APA Paper Problem Areas Select a counseling problem and a treatment solution. DO NOT create a case study. Do not reference textbooks Use only professional academic journals Running head Running head: and a condensed title in all caps with page number to the far right is listed in the page header on the first page only. On all other pages remove Running head: but leave the condensed title and page number. Example First Page Running head: BEHAVIORAL THERAPY AS A TREATMENT 1 All Other Pages BEHAVIORAL THERAPY AS A TREATMENT 1 Abstract Do not indent first line. Content page Place title on first line of first content page. Short quote Under 40 words and stays within the paragraph. Separate with followed by the page number in parentheses. ex. (p. 23). Example According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199). Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199) Long Quote (Block quote) Over 40 words and is separated from the paragraph and place in a block quote. Use a lead in statement to the quote. Indent the left margin 1 tab from the paper margin. DO NOT use quote marks. Place page number in parentheses at end of quote. ex. (p. 199). Example Jones's (1998) study found the following: Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time citing sources. This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help. (p. 199) References If an article is listed in the paper at least one time it has to be listed on the reference page. If an article is listed on the reference page it has to be sited at least once in the paper. Citing references ALWAYS put the year in pretenses after the author(s) name. DO NOT use firs names, titles, affiliations or initials when citing an article in the paper.

2 Running head: RESOLVING CONFLICT FOR COUPLES 1 Double Click Header to Edit Flush left. SHORTENED TITLE OF YOUR PAPER THAT APPEARS IN UPPERCASE LETTERS. Flush right page number. Approaches to Resolving Conflict for Couples Kristen J. Corey Troy University Southeastern Region / Florida In partial fulfillment of the requirements for CP Professional Orientation and Ethics Lamon H. Small, Ph.D. Term 1, 2014

3 Remove Running head: from SHORTENED TITLE. RESOLVING CONFLICT FOR COUPLES 2 Abstract Couples counseling has been shown to be an effective way of resolving conflict amongst couples as well as improving the overall happiness of one or both members of the couple. Assessment are commonly used across the theoretical approaches to gauge the happiness of couples throughout and following the counseling process. Summaries of behavioral couples therapy, cognitive-behavioral couples therapy and emotion-focused therapy for couples are included. DO NOT Indent. No first person. Paper Content (Starting on Page 3) DO NOT use first names / titles / affiliation. list journals in paper. When citing an article use only the authors last name followed by the publication year. Entire paper is doubled spaced. Section headings are centered and first letter is capitalized. If an article is cited in the paper it MUST be listed on the reference page. DO NOT - Review articles in paper. Citing References When a work has: One author: Always use the last name every time the reference occurs in the text. Two authors: Always cite both names every time the reference occurs in the text. Three, four or five authors: Cite all authors the first time the reference occurs; in subsequent citations, include only the surname of the first author followed by et al.. Six or more authors: Cite only the surname of the first author followed by et al. and the year for the first and subsequent citations.

4 RESOLVING CONFLICT FOR COUPLES 3 Put title centered on first line. Different Approaches to Resolving Conflict for Couples As anyone who has been involved in an intimate relationship probably knows, conflict seems inevitable in a couple relationship. Conflict results from many factors including differences in expectations of the other person, lack of communication and different ideas about how situations, such as child rearing and finances, should be handled. This conflict, if left untreated, often leads to diminished happiness of either or both parties, as well as separation if the unhappiness outweighs the perceived benefits of remaining in the relationship. Research has consistently shown couples counseling to be an effective means of both resolving conflict in relationships. Couples counseling seeks not only to alleviate conflict once it has begun to occur, but also to prevent the occurrence of conflict leading to unhappiness before it has originated. This unhappiness appears to occur after some time in the relationship when both parties become more comfortable together and the newness of the relationship wears off. At this point couples often become more irritated with each other, leading to greater unhappiness. Counselors often see couples who are exhibiting signs of conflict, such as irritability towards each other, frequent and escalating arguments and lack of enjoyable time spent together. It is important that counselors document these reported thoughts, feelings and actions. By understanding the issues, the counselor can then find an appropriate counseling approach to implement for the couple. In addition to obtaining information about thoughts, feelings and actions involved in the conflict, counselors may also choose to use assessment tools in order to gauge the severity of the conflict and related unhappiness. Several assessment scales have been commonly used to assess happiness to couples in a relationship. The specific assessment scale used tends to vary, based on the theoretical approach being implemented. Lebow (2014) found the following: Lead in statement for block quote.

5 RESOLVING CONFLICT FOR COUPLES 4 Block Quote More than 40 words. One tab from let margin. Models all have their own approaches to assessment, which are inevitably linked directly to creation of a plan for intervention consonant with the core theory of the model. Thus, emotion focused therapists primarily assess aspects of the family having to do with emotion and attachment; cognitive-behavioral therapists emphasize cognitions and behavior; intergenerational models emphasize the genogram; and so on. (p. 156) Page Numbe It is the quantitative results of the scores received using these scales that allows researchers and counselors alike to measure the effectiveness of counseling approaches, as well as the effectiveness of the specific approach being used for a specific couple. In behavioral couples therapy (BCT) there is a focus on observable behavior and what is currently happening in the relationship is stressed, rather than what has happened in the past. A behavioral counselor would look only at the behaviors, the observable actions, of the couples, such as arguing, not at the thoughts or emotions. Assessment plays a strong role in the BCT process. Both partners take assessments prior to the start of counseling, as well as during and after the completion of the counseling process. In this approach, the treatment of each couple is very individualized, which is assisted by the assessments taken by the couple throughout the process. After the initial assessment sessions, the therapist provides feedback to the couple in order to explain how the counseling process will help them to resolve the behavioral issues that they have presented. The counselor then moves on to present skill sets to the individuals through shaping to respond differently to some of the situations that they have described as problematic for their relationship. Couples are commonly asked to bring to future sessions a report of their behavioral observations, both positive and negative in order to make adjustments to their plan as they see fit. Although the BCT approach has been found very effective for a number of couples, some of the downsides are that it lacks the emotional aspect of a relationship that many people find to

6 RESOLVING CONFLICT FOR COUPLES 5 be important. Another problem that is sometimes identified is that because this approach treats only the immediate behaviors of the present, it does not directly address the underlying cause of these symptoms. For example, if one individual reports being ignored, the behavior of ignoring is reshaped rather than exploring why that behavior is occurring and addressing that issue as well. Because of this couples tend to relapse more to their previous behaviors than with some of the other approach methodologies. One way that modern behavioral couples counseling addresses relapse is by incorporating acceptance training. It matters more to make changes to the way we react to conflicts than to the problems that cause the conflicts themselves (Fisher & Fink, 2014). Cognitive-behavioral couple s therapy (CBCT) stresses that couples first recognize how they feel and think and then address how this affects their behaviors. Cognitive-behavioral counselors believes that before behavior changes can occur, the clients first need to tackle recognizing these cognitions and how they lead to the behaviors that they exhibit. Research has shown that the negative attributions individuals make about their partners create an expectation for negative future actions. The self-fulfilling and self-perpetuating qualities of these attributions reflect the confirmatory biases they impose on relationship observations (Lopez 1993, p. 311). Another important aspect is that clients are coached to react differently through their behaviors in order to assist to change their broken pattern of thinking and feeling. By Short Quote - (fewer than 40 words separated with and page number listed. making changes to the programmed thoughts that they have, clients are able to make changes to the behaviors that they have isolated as unhealthy to their relationship. Though CBCT is currently a popular means of counseling, couples utilizing this form of counseling for conflict resolution still are at risk for relapse. This issue is addressed by teaching individuals to apply the concepts that are learned in sessions to their everyday lives before

7 RESOLVING CONFLICT FOR COUPLES 6 counseling is completed. Also, clients are taught that lapses both within and after counseling are opportunities for the individuals to learn and should not be seen as failures. Finally, emotion-focused therapy for couples (EFT-C) focuses on the emotional aspects of the relationship and notes that emotions are fundamentally central in therapeutic change. Couples are helped to identify their emotions that are leading to the negative interactions, such as feelings of resentment leading to distance in the relationship. They must first accept the negative reactions that leave them unable to resolve the conflict. Therapists help couples to do this by providing empathetic responses, allowing each individual to become aware of the emotions that they are feeling in order to obtain better regulation (Greenburg, 2014). Because EFT-C takes a fundamental approach to restructuring how individuals identify and react to their own emotions, this approach addresses some of the downsides given rise by the behavioral approach. On the other hand, because EFT-C only addresses the emotions and thoughts of the individual, ineffective behavioral responses may still be of issue. Discussion In order for counselors to effectively serve couples in conflict, it is important to be aware of the specific issues that are bringing the individuals to counseling. Using assessments not only to identify the specific issues, but to gauge to success of counseling for each couple by taking multiple assessments throughout the counseling process. Behavioral couple s therapy, cognitive behavioral couple s therapy and emotion-focused therapy for couples have all been shown to be an effective way of resolving conflict or couples. Finding the most effective theoretic approach is dependent on the thought of the couple regarding thoughts, feelings and behaviors. When these questions have been answered by the couple, a counselor can then move forward with helping the couple to resolve their issues and move towards a happier relationship.

8 RESOLVING CONFLICT FOR COUPLES 7 Reference List: Alphabetical order Hanging Indent References Fisher, D., & Fink, B. (2014). Clinical Processes in Behavioral Couples Counseling. Psychocounseling, 51(1), Greenburg, L. (2014) The Therapeutic Relationship in Emotion-Focused Counseling. Psychocounseling, 51(3) Lebow, J. (2014). Stages of counseling: Engagement, assessment, and termination. Couple and family counseling: An integrative map of the territory (pp ). American Psychological Association. doi: / Lopez, F. G. (1993). Cognitive Processes in Close Relationships: Recent Findings and Implications for Counseling. Journal of Counseling and Development. 71(3) Reference list must be in alphabetical order. DO NOT use first names / titles / affiliation. Entire reference page is doubled spaced. The reference list is hanging indented. In reference list journals are italicized. Reference Page If an article is listed on the reference page it must be sited at least once in the paper.