SXCT Part I: Early-Phase Interventions & Process

Structural Experiential Couple Therapy (SXCT) is an integrative, process-oriented model of couple therapy that combines systemic, experiential and constructivist thinking into a coherent framework for clinical practice. Rather than teaching isolated techniques, SXCT provides therapists with a structured understanding of how relationships become organised, why couples become stuck, and how meaningful change is created through the therapeutic process. The model places particular emphasis on the therapist’s use of self, the structure of therapeutic conversations, and interventions that create new relational experiences rather than simply new insight. SXCT is designed to provide clinicians with a practical framework that can be applied across a broad range of relationship presentations while maintaining flexibility, depth and clinical precision.

Part I focuses on the early phase of therapy, where the foundations for successful treatment are established. Participants will learn how to engage both partners, establish a strong therapeutic alliance, create the therapeutic container, develop a systemic formulation, and structure the early sessions to maximise the potential for change. The training explores the therapist’s positioning, assessment through interaction, the management of therapeutic process, and the use of early-stage interventions to interrupt unhelpful relational patterns and establish a productive direction for therapy. By the end of Part I, participants will have a clear framework for understanding and navigating the opening phase of couple therapy, providing the confidence and structure needed to begin effective clinical work with couples.