Imago Relationship Therapy and Accurate Empathy Development
Fourteen individuals participated in Imago relationship therapy (IRT) group training and intervention. The sessions were carried out at a public institution of higher education in the southwest and facilitated by a certified Imago therapist. The study followed an experimental–control group design. Findings indicate that while accurate empathy responding remained low, as well as constant, across time in the control group, participation in the IRT sessions strongly increased one's ability to accurately empathize with their partner/spouse. This study provides strong evidence for a theoretical goal of IRT, namely that it improves accurate empathic responding for individuals who have received the intervention.