UCLA Couples Counseling for Combat Veterans

UCLA Welcome Back Veterans Family Resilience Center Couples Counseling for Combat Veterans

A pilot intervention of an existing intervention adapted for the returning warfighter population: a couples treatment for PTSD, Structured Approach Therapy (SAT), which emphasizes reducing the PTSD avoidance/numbing symptoms that are corrosive in families.

Inclusion Criteria:

• OIF/OEF/ OND veteran with at least one deployment
• In a cohabitating relationship for 6 months or longer
• Cohabitating 50% of the time or more
• Diagnosed with PTSD or meets the diagnosis criteria for PTSD as related to deployment experience (CAPS)
• Ability to make weekly appointments
• Willingness to commit to change

Exclusion Criteria:

• Receiving an evidence-based treatment for PTSD within the past 6 months
• Receiving couples therapy within the last 6 months
• Moderate or excessive physical violence within the past 3 months (CTS)
• Alcohol/substance dependence (SCID)
• Known domestic violence/abuse (CTS)
• Symptoms of psychosis within the past 3 months
• Unstable psychiatric medicine usage or on regimen less than 3 months