The purpose of the present paper is to review the main methodological and conceptual trends and changes of couple psychotherapy, indicating the approaches origin and changes in the understanding of the object, methodology, and psychotherapeutic models. The methodological focus was based on published couple psychotherapy review papers, presented in the PsycLit, and accessed trough CAPES home page in August, 2006. Diverse couple psychotherapy methodological and theoretical approaches are described and connected to several historical periods. Recent questions and contributions related to feminist, transcultural and post-modern perspectives are pointed out. Articulations among approaches are also indicated.
couple psychotherapy; historical review; methodology; theoretical approaches