Imago therapy

Background

IRT emphasizes structured communication through the Imago Dialogue, designed to reduce reactivity, foster empathy, and transform conflict into opportunity for relational growth-focusing on "the space between" partners rather than diagnosing one partner. Empirical studies show that IRT exercises improve accurate empathy development and communication skills in couples.

History

IRT was developed by Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt. The word imago is Latin for "image"; in this sense, it refers to the "unconscious image of similar love", according to one therapist.

A 2017 study of the method's effectiveness found that couples participating in IRT increased marital satisfaction during treatment (and to a lesser extent at a follow-up) but that the improvements were not clinically significant.

Research published in 2025 in the Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy found that the workshops yielded short-term improvements in relationship satisfaction and communication.

References

References

1. "What is Imago?".
2. "Imago Relationship Therapy".
3. (2015). "Using the Imago Dialogue to Deepen Couples Therapy". Journal of Individual Psychology.
4. (2015). "Imago Relationship Therapy and Accurate Empathy Development". Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy.
5. "Helping Couples Get The Love They Want".
6. Gehlert, Nathan C.. (2017-07-03). "Randomized Controlled Trial of Imago Relationship Therapy: Exploring Statistical and Clinical Significance". Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy.
7. (2015). "Evaluating the impact of the “Getting the Love You Want” workshop on relational satisfaction and communication". Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy.