research study

invitation for referrals

We invite you to consider referring a couple you feel might be interested in participating in a new study. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of TCT, with the goal of publishing the results in a peer reviewed journal. The total length of treatment in the study is sixteen 75-minute online weekly sessions held on HIPAA compliant Zoom, with questionnaires at various points and following the therapeutic process.

Couples participating in the research study will be offered a 50% discount from Therapists on the TCT Research Team.

TCT Research Study Application - Click Here

referral criteria

• Couples need to be eighteen or older and must have lived together for two years or more.
• Gay and heterosexual couples are invited to apply.
• The criteria do not allow for known physical violence in the couple dynamic or alcohol or drug abuse.
• Couples would be in the mid-range of relational and psychological difficulties who could respond well to a shortened course of treatment.
• The couple needs to reside in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Virginia, Canada or The Netherlands.
• To apply for the study the couple should complete the TCT Research Study Interest Form at this link to start the process.

how do i refer a couple?

1. The couple should complete the TCT Research Study Interest Form at this link to start the process.
2. If the couple may be a match for the study, we will schedule a free twenty-minute free interview with one of the therapists on the TCT Research Team.
3. At the end of the twenty minutes, if the couple and the therapist feel they want to work together, they would then begin the study screening process.

what is the couple screening process?

1. Each couple member will respond to a one-page questionnaire. Their responses will be identified only by a code number. These results will be held in a confidential HIPAA compliant and encrypted method designed for scientific studies.
2. The therapist on the TCT Research Study Team will contact them regarding their eligibility. If they meet the criteria for this study, they will proceed to the next step.
3. They then fill out a series of questionnaires which will take about twenty to thirty minutes.
4. If this set of questionnaires also confirms that they are a match for the study, the therapist will contact them to set up a mutually workable schedule for the sixteen weekly sessions.

what if the couple doesn't meet the criteria?

The therapist will:

1. Refer them back to you or to another TCT therapist (who is not participating in the study) and are licensed in the couple’s state of residence.
2. The study therapist may possibly accept them into their couple therapy practice separately from the study and at their normal fee.
3. If neither 1 or 2 work out, they will be offered other referrals.

TCT Research Study Application - Click Here