Video Game Therapy: Application of the Couple and Family Technology Framework

Sexual Orientation and Infidelity-Related Behaviors on Social Media Sites

Little research has been focused on offline or online infidelity in GL dating relationships, especially in a post-communist socio-cultural context. Infidelity-related (IR) behaviors on social media sites might be as hurtful to relationships as offline infidelity, both in gay, lesbian (GL) and heterosexual romantic monogamous relationships. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to examine the associations between dyadic satisfaction, attitudes toward infidelity, and problematic internet usage, with IR behaviors on social media sites among GL and heterosexual unmarried individuals in Romanian sexual minority communities. Results showed that GL respondents did not significantly differ from heterosexual participants regarding IR behaviors. Furthermore, we found the main effect of attitudes toward infidelity and problematic internet use on IR behaviors. Sexual orientation highlights the main effect of IR behaviors when analyzed with dyadic satisfaction. The current study may be a precursor to further research investigating correlations in online IR behavior among lesbian and gay individuals engaging in consensual nonmonogamy. Implications of the findings are discussed in the social context of a post-communist country where GL individuals may face discrimination and stigma because of their sexual orientation.

Emotion Regulation Focused Family Therapy With Contemporary Families Affected by Information and Communication Technologies

In the contemporary world, new information and communication technologies (ICTs) have revolutionized family relationships and organization. Mobile phones, tablets, and computers are entrenched in everyday family life. Therefore, families face new challenges with problematic internet use, blurring boundaries between the outside world and the domestic sphere. Sometimes these changes in living together lead to suffering. How do therapists respond to these new challenges faced by contemporary families? Considering the emotion regulation strategies underlying the problematic use of technology, we develop an Emotion Regulation Focused Family Therapy. Within the Change Process Research paradigm, which aims to explain how psychotherapy produces change, we examine this innovative therapeutic approach in an exploratory process in order to refine our own practice. We conducted a qualitative research for five families in family therapy under natural clinical conditions to identify the therapist's interventions and the family configurations. The core theme was therapist interventions. The results identified 12 subcategories under this category. We built an emotion regulation focused model with 12 steps from these subcategories. Each of the interventions is illustrated with some excerpts from the sessions. Clinical considerations, methodological issues limiting the current body of work, and recommendations for future research are discussed.