2005

Relationship enhancement therapy (RE), developed by Bernard G. Guerney in the 1960s (Guerney, 1977), combines psychodynamic, behavioral, communication, experiential, and relationship (family) systems perspectives into an integrative whole. This approach was one of the earliest to recognize the benefits of an educational skill training model over the traditional diagnosis and treatment model that has been popular for decades. Central to the development of RE is the belief that one’s personality is shaped by his or her relationships, which in turn shape relationships over the life span. The individual is seen as developing interpersonal reflexes, which trigger the same kind of response in others. These reflexes or habits are seen as automatic and nonconscious and operate reciprocally (Leary, 1957, Shannon & Guerney, 1973, Sullivan, 1947). From this perspective, Guerney conceived of the idea of training people in constructive relationship skills, which became the foundation of RE therapy (Ely, Guerney, & Stover, 1973; Guerney, 1964)