This year’s Couples Conference explored 5 major models of couples therapy. These included PACT, Gottman, EFT, Relational Life and the Developmental Model.

I had the honor of opening the conference, and I would like to share with you the poem I wrote to highlight five different approaches to couples therapy that have advanced our field. I was inspired by the poem, “The Blind Man and The Elephant,” by John Godfrey Saxe, which begins like this:

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

Ode to Couples Therapists

Welcome, dear participants to learning much inclined.
You’ve come to learn 5 theories and challenging answers hoping to find.
You’ve come to Los Angeles so with your clients you won’t be so blind.
We trust you’ve come with a very, very open mind.

Maybe it’s Gottman, EFT, Bader-Pearson, PACT or Real.
Each has their own approach to helping couples with what they feel.

Each theory is unique, focusing closely on its own parts,
Yet all care about their contribution to mending broken hearts.

You might go to Terry Real to hear how his approach is relational,
And come away with new skills in being more confrontational.

He teaches men how to speak from the heart
And encourages women not to collapse or fall apart.

Then there is Stan Tatkin, his approach known as PACT.
You’ll learn about nonverbal cues and the body to closely track.

He’ll show you how to focus on your client’s micro-expressions
And insist you see your fighting couples for much longer sessions.

Gottman’s work is known widely for what’s learned in the lab and from science.
The Coles will help you implement what’s gained from so much data reliance.

They use a comprehensive assessment screening
And help couples work to build shared meaning.

Sue Johnson focuses on attachment and emotion,
Applying her craft with unending devotion.

She’ll help you with attachment injury detection
And how to help couples rebuild secure connection,

The Developmental Model provides a clear roadmap for growth through differentiation
With targeted interventions to put an end to couples such hardened alienation.

We’ve focused on developmental change with couples whose fighting is intense,
Opening partners to love and connection, breaking through their defense.

We specialize with infidelity and lies, and how to know what is false and true,
But also focus on the therapist and the enormous growth available to you.

And so, dear participants, you could dispute our approaches vigorously and long,
And all of you would be partly right. And all would be somewhat wrong!

The Erickson Foundation and Couples Institute invite you to enjoy these next 3 days,
Participating actively with your thoughts, questions, hands often raised,

We’ve assembled the pros who’ve each played a part in the Couples Therapy field progressing.
Having them all under our roof at the same time is indeed a blessing.

So we hope you go home Sunday, taking the best of each,
With your own blindness so much, much more decreased.

At this point, conference participants began their exploration of the five different approaches that were featured at the conference.

If you attended the conference, I welcome your comments or statements about something you took away. And, I’d also love to hear what models, methods or presenters you’d like to learn more from in the future.

And by all means keep exploring, learning, finding ways to “decrease your own blindness,” “satisfy your mind,” and help more couples at the same time!