A Research Proposal on Couple Marital Counselling (Research Paper Sample)

A Research Proposal on Couple Counselling
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A Research Proposal on Couple Counselling
Abstract
Marital counselling is crucial to revitalize troubled marriages as it calls for a considerate decision making process about restructuring relationships. Previous research reveals infidelity, financial mismanagement, abusive partners, just to mention a few, as the major contributing factors to unhealthy relationship and marriage break ups. There exist skimpy literature that address the fundamentality of communication between parties. Consequently, majority of psychotherapist find it hard to give permanent solutions to couples experiencing marital problems which transpires to increasing annual divorce rates around the globe. To bridge the aforementioned gap in marriages, this studies aims at examining the relationship between marriage satisfaction and effective communication between couples. The paper will mainly adopt qualitative approach and make use of internet survey, follow-up interviews and exploratory interviews among couples. The gathered data will then be examined using descriptive statistics, thematic analysis and discourse analysis. The findings of the study are expected to enhance accountability in the existing therapeutic programs. Furthermore, the applied research is also expected to add to existing social and political focus in marriage planning and marital counselling services.
Table of Contents
Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Abstract PAGEREF _Toc454543320 \h 2Definition of Terms PAGEREF _Toc454543321 \h 2Introduction PAGEREF _Toc454543322 \h 3Problem Statement PAGEREF _Toc454543323 \h 3Research Questions PAGEREF _Toc454543324 \h 4Research Design PAGEREF _Toc454543325 \h 5Brief Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc454543326 \h 5References PAGEREF _Toc454543327 \h 7
Definition of Terms
Marital Counselling – It refers to couple counselling.
Effective communication – It involves active and positive communication between individuals.
Therapy- A practise where a trained therapist spend time with a mentally or emotionally trouble person to diagnose and treat psychological problems.
Regulated couples: Couples that are more likely to overcome marriage conflicts in a way that does not harm their relationship. Individuals are likely to experience marriage satisfaction.
Healthy relationships: Are type of relationships where couples achieve marriage satisfaction.
Nonregulated couples- couples are likely to engage in unending conflicts and either party is uncaring, more irritated and less happy.
Introduction
The marital relationship remains a subject of interest for professionals who specialize in premarital and marital counseling as a way of promoting family life education. Naturally, human being enters into a relationship with a mutual expectation that the involved parties will maintain a substantial contact with each other, fostered by the desire to feel secure within these relationships (Amato & Previti,2003). However, controversies exist in marriages, which brings marital dissatisfaction and thus the need for the marital therapist to sustain and revert dying marriages. The ramifications of marital dissatisfaction are severe and happen to individuals of all races, ages, and cultural backgrounds. For instance, divorce has adverse implications not necessarily on the children but also for the parents and which last for years.
To promote family life education, skilled therapist run therapeutic programs that address issues like parenting, effective communication, marital satisfaction, to state a few (Torma, 2013). Equally, distinct religious organizations and churches have not been left behind and have significantly invested in programs aimed at establishing healthy family functioning. This study is anchored on exploring the connection between effective communication in marital life and healthy relationship. In other words, it seeks to probe the association between marital and premarital counseling and marital satisfactions in family lives.
Problem Statement
Most marriages do not fail for the same reason even though the lack of effective communication between couples is the major factor. Coincidently, social work specialists consider intervention efforts more than prevention efforts when addressing issues of marital dissatisfaction caused by factors such as infidelity, employment, child-rearing, different expectations, etc. Recently, different scholarly work has heavily criticized the relationship between marital satisfaction and efficient communication skills. Some renowned therapist reiterates that upset marriages are more often driven by frustrated desires of either of the parties that partially or not reflect an actual gap of effective communication. Furthermore, troubled couples may prefer to communicate in a negative which can motivate unpleasing intentions from either party and hence the need for this study to examine on how communication is a fundamental factor in building a healthy relationship.
It is my hope that the findings of this study will enhance accountability in the existing therapeutic programs, will bridge the gap and the current assumptions on communications as a strategy of enriching marriages. The applied research is also expected to add to existing social and political focus in marriage planning and marital counseling services. Finally, the findings of this study will act as guide to the theologians in making theological reflections about marriages and drawing the best insights that fit different marriage issues
Research Questions
The main goal of couple counseling is usually to enhance stability and satisfaction for parties in a relationship. Development of communication skills by either partner in marriage is more likely to embolden companionship and thus strengthen intimacy between couples since it promotes to joint problem solving and decision-making. This paper will explore the following questions:
1 Is involvement in couple counselling likely to enhance couple’s communication and thus a greater satisfaction in a marriage?
2 In times of a marital discord, can therapist advocate for couples communication to restore a greater satisfaction of the partners and reduce likelihood of divorce?
3 Does positive communication determine the quality and stability of marriages?
Research Design
The aim of the study is to contribute to good practice in couple counseling and psychotherapy by discussing the importance of couple’s communication in enhancing a healthy relationship. The paper will adopt qualitative approach and make use of internet survey, follow-up interviews, and exploratory interviews with couples. The gathered data will then be examined using descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, and discourse analysis. The exploratory interviews are expected to show respondents consciousness on couple counseling services. The internet survey will help to clarify whether therapist could introduce effective communication to families in a marital discord to silence marital problems and enhance positive changes. Lastly, follow-up interviews will be used to examine to what extent effective communication insights gained by families that were experiencing marital discords during couple counselling was restoring marriage happiness.
Brief Literature Review
The literature review for this study expands on a possible connection between couple’s communication counseling and marital satisfaction. The majority of person treasures fruitful and healthy relationships. Initially, new married couples play significant roles focused on enhancing a future healthy partnership by defining the course their relationship will take. In the event of marital discords between couples, marital counseling is crucial troubled as it calls for a thoughtful decision-making process about restructuring relationships.
According to a study by Carroll and Doherty (2003), approximately 93% of the Americans aspire to have a happy marriage and views it as the most meaningful purpose in life. Whereas happy and marriages are unquestionably diverse, most therapists concur that most happy marriages enjoy significant benefits such as physically healthy and emotional well-being and thus long lifespan. Contrary, discordance in marriages affects the well-being o...