What are common challenges faced while working with high-conflict couples in therapy?

High-conflict couples often navigate a landscape filled with strong, intertwined emotions that can lead to significant communication breakdowns. These couples typically struggle with intense feelings such as anger, resentment, and betrayal, which can cloud their judgment and exacerbate conflicts. This emotional turbulence makes it difficult for them to engage in constructive communication or to clearly articulate their needs and concerns.

In therapy, these challenges manifest as resistance to engaging in dialogue, misunderstandings, and the escalation of conflict rather than resolution. The therapist's role becomes crucial in helping to unravel these entangled emotions, providing a safe space for expression, and facilitating communication techniques that foster understanding. Addressing these emotional dynamics is key to any therapeutic intervention aimed at helping the couple move towards conflict resolution and healthier interactions.

While other options suggest positive dynamics, such as alignment on goals or a willingness to change, these traits are typically less prevalent in high-conflict situations, making option B the most accurate reflection of the challenges faced in therapy with such couples.