1997 Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 1-11
Parent marital relation's of a boy (13 years old) with severe bronchial asthma was successfully treated with approaches based on L'Abate's family psychology.
The parent had had marital process dysfunction characterized by repetitive reactivity, between critical attitude of the wife (39 years old) and withdrawal of the husband (43 years old). When the wife sought for psychotherapy she was depressed and thought of divorce. A marital therapy was suggested.
The first intervention was a proposal of non-destructive contract based on TA model, which was accepted by the couple. They confirmed to each other not to divorce. Then several writing tasks were assigned to them as educational approach. Especially effective was the intimacy experiential exercise of “sharing of hurt” through which real intimacy problems were disclosed. The approach/avoidance questionnaire led the wife to expand awareness of her own behavior patterns. She realized that she avoided intimacy. Fifteen sessions of marital therapy brought about stability and release from repetitive reactivity patterns. The hospitalized asthmatic boy also recovered.
Forty-two months after the last session, follow-up session was conducted. Good relation was still maintained.
