DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN THEIR NARRATIVES AT THE BEGINNING OF COUPLES THERAPY

In a group of patients starting couples therapy LUBORSKY's CCRT-method was used to study patients' narratives about their interactions with other people. Narratives can be used to study interpersonal behaviour and transference. Clinical and developmental hypotheses on differences between men an women were empirically tested and confirmed. Men and w omen differed in their transference dispositions towards a male therap ist. Taking gender specific behaviour into account may be of importanc e in evaluating individual patients and empirical research studies.