Childbirth and marital crisis: Case study and couple therapy

• Main Author: Dragišić-Labaš Slađana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociological Scientific Society of Serbia 2014-01-01
• Series: Sociologija
• Subjects: couple crisis; marital therapy; case study
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0038-0318/2014/0038-03181404474D.pdf

Understanding of social and family dynamics, taking into account viewpoints of sociology of family, social demography, social psychology and social psychiatry, can provide a better insight into various family, couple and parent-child relationships. Close observation should be focused on the family’s life cycle, its type and patterns of group functioning. One should always take into consideration that when entering into a marriage each partner brings patterns from his/her family of origin, individual feelings/emotions, expectations and needs. Every change within a family is significant, especially the one that marks a passage from one into another, that is a different phase of a life cycle. Such one is definitely a birth of the first child. This exactly is the point that causes high level of stress within a couple. Childbirth usually brings challenges to family organization, which is often reflected onto the couple. The possible conflicts are usually related to issues of responsibility and the difficulties of adaptation to a parental role. Research experience shows that couples’ crisis is common with younger as well as with older partners. In this study we will present two case studies, where we deployed a qualitative method. The stories describe two couples above 35 years old, in their first marriage, both with tertiary education and one child. These families are at the stage of the life cycle often cited as ‘family with a small child’ (Duvall, Hill, 1984, Duvall, 1971 according to: Mićović). Both couples that joined therapy were experiencing conflicts related to a division of tasks and responsibilities as well as to an acceptance of a father’s role. We will demonstrate the therapeutic process, techniques that were employed in working with partners in crisis as well as the outcomes of a treatment.