For therapists, doctors, course instructors & consultants

“Blended Therapy” with PaarBalance – the optimal combination for all those who work with people in strained or new couple relationships (intervention & prevention).

Support your clients in maintaining a good relationship.

The best way to experience the CoupleBalance tool is to try it out yourself. You can create your own user account here and immediately gain a thorough insight into the program's inner workings.

Create your own test account now →

✓ 2 minutes ✓ Free of charge ּ ✓ No obligation

As part of your registration, we will inform you about research findings and news related to relationship satisfaction and CoupleBalance (via email). You can, of course, change or delete your information at any time ([email protected]).

Warm regards and have fun trying it out!

Prof. Dr. Ludwig Schindler & Dr. Judith Gastner

Learn about the CoupleBalance program for greater relationship satisfaction

In just a few minutes you will gain a solid understanding of how the PaarBalance tool can support your local efforts.

These are the topics covered in the CoupleBalance program (relationship counseling for each partner):

Download PDF

Do you have any questions?
Feel free to contact us ( [email protected] ).

Frequently Asked Questions & Answers about Couple Balance

How does PaarBalance help me in my work?

Personal sessions typically take place no more than once a week (often less frequently). In the time between these sessions, our clients strive to emotionally integrate the insights, suggestions, and plans gained from the interventions and implement them in their daily lives.

This isn't always easy in the daily grind. Most people tend to fall back into "old patterns" quickly (especially under stress).

With PaarBalance, we can provide our clients – in the time between personal consultations – with scientifically sound, step-by-step support to improve their relationship quality.

Anyone who wants to do something good for their relationship will receive a concise guide on how to achieve this in the home environment.

to relax the atmosphere,
to improve communication
to overcome challenges,
to "stick with" the implementation of helpful projects and
To treat oneself and one's life partner with respect and kindness.

A) Supportive role in counselling sessions, individual and couples therapy or prevention courses (blended care)

The relationship profile and the 18 online sessions with psychoeducational videos, in-depth exercises and suggestions for everyday life as a couple can flexibly complement the individual face-to-face process.

Colleague account (free)

As a colleague, you will receive a permanent user account (non-binding & free of charge), which gives you access to the program's inner workings at any time.

Versatile building blocks

You can flexibly integrate individual elements into the design of your face-to-face appointments or your course units.

Relationship profile

The individual relationship profile reflects the resources and difficulties experienced by both partners in the partnership (often very differently).

Humorous presentation of "relationship basics"

The coaching videos can be a helpful addition, providing a concise overview of scientifically sound "relationship basics".

More time for the couple's specific needs

During the sessions themselves, the focus can be placed more specifically on the very particular challenges of each couple.

Less preparation time

Using PaarBalance modules can save you preparation time for the "intervention area partnership".

Application in the home environment

Your client will receive targeted support in implementing and maintaining positive impulses in their everyday life as a couple.

Further discussion during face-to-face meetings

Personal experiences and thoughts on the content of the individual online sessions can be addressed and explored in greater depth through direct exchange with you.

Involving the partner at home

If one of the two partners cannot (yet) be persuaded to participate in joint sessions on site, he or she can (initially) deal with the topic of positive relationship building 'anonymously' from home.

Support for long-distance relationships

Even if a couple is geographically separated, both partners can actively maintain their relationship using online sessions.

B) Recommendation of PaarBalance as a self-help program (preparation, deepening, relapse prevention)

Your client can also complete the CoupleBalance program entirely independently – for example, following counseling, inpatient treatment, or psychotherapy (couples or individual therapy). CoupleBalance can also be recommended to prepare for a personal appointment or to effectively bridge waiting times.

Self-determined

Your client can perform CoupleBalance completely independently.

Flexible & in small units

Your client receives sound and efficient assistance in manageable 'dosage' – without waiting times and regardless of time of day and location.

More stability

Improving the quality of relationships has been proven to support your client's mental and physical stability and health.

Bridging the waiting time

The tool can be offered as preparation for a personal appointment or as a useful way to bridge waiting times.

Deepen & Anchor

Following the completion of a personal treatment process, the CoupleBalance program can help your client to deepen their understanding and emotional awareness of the 'ingredients for a loving relationship' and to apply them in their everyday life as a couple in the long term.

Rückfallprophylaxe

The online program can be used as a tool for relapse prevention at home. This 'mobile counseling for home' can be used when there is a risk of relapsing into destructive behavioral or thought patterns.

Continuing the relationship story

The CoupleBalance tool offers the opportunity to record important and beautiful shared experiences in the 'relationship chronicle'. Regularly reflecting on enriching moments as a couple has been proven to be a key pillar for relationship satisfaction.

No cost to you

There are absolutely no costs for you. You can create your own free colleague account within 2-3 minutes (no obligation & no time limit).

No additional effort required

Without any additional effort on your part, you can provide your client with concrete help in the area of "Happy Relationship Building".

How does the CoupleBalance program work?

PaarBalance is an interactive online tool that guides each partner in a concise and entertaining way to acquire, step by step, the scientifically proven "ingredients for a successful relationship" from more than 50 years of couple research.

Systematically developed partnership questionnaire (approx. 10 minutes)

Before the program starts, a status quo assessment (current state of relationship quality) is conducted: How is the relationship currently experienced and shaped ?

Feedback on the “relationship profile”

Immediately afterwards, each client receives detailed feedback about their personal resources and problem areas.

Interactive sessions (one to two per week, each lasting approximately 20 minutes)

At the heart of the CoupleBalance program are 18 consecutive units on relevant relationship topics, each with

a psychoeducational video
two exercises
three homework assignments (to choose from)

The main topics of the 18 Couple Balance sessions

The 18 couple balance sessions can be roughly divided into the following areas:

Improve the atmosphere (1 – 5)
Dealing with unfulfilled wishes & conflicts (6 – 10)
Self-care & rituals (11 – 12)
Sexuality (13 – 14)
Jealousy & Loyalty (15 – 16)
Stress management & relationship history (17 – 18)

Motivational aids & instructions

The clients are supported by

Motivational messages before and after each session
Recommended reading
a personal online relationship diary
an individual mood barometer
Summaries
Explanations for optimal program usage

Option to share summaries via email or print them out for personal use.

All summaries (relationship profile, exercises, homework, "ingredients for happiness") can be easily sent by email as a PDF attachment to the therapist and/or partner, or printed out and brought along to personal meetings.

What does "blended therapy" mean?

Blended therapy (also known as blended counseling, blended treatment, or blended care) refers to a combination of traditional (synchronous) in-person psychotherapy within routine care and internet-based interventions. The English term "blend" means something like combination (or mixture). Blended care in psychotherapy thus refers to a combined (mixed) approach of personal contact and self-directed online interventions. In German, a uniform term has not yet been established. However, various sources refer to "Verzahnter Psychotherapie" (integrated psychotherapy ).

Warum Blended Therapy?

Numerous studies have shown that the combination of personal (face-to-face) consultation with a sound online tool (self-directed) is currently the most helpful approach for many people to anchor desired changes in their daily hamster wheel routine in the long term.

Integrated psychotherapy in the intervention area of partnership?

As with many other intervention areas, it has also been shown in the area of "partnership crisis and relationship stress" that the blended care format can optimally support people with relationship problems in coping with existing challenges and permanently implementing desired changes in the home environment.

Does the combination of individual therapy on-site and couples therapy sessions in between have to take place within the same timeframe?

No. The CoupleBalance program can be used at different times:
A) Before treatment (e.g., to bridge waiting times effectively)
B) After treatment (e.g., to solidify changes)
C) During treatment (e.g., to intensify the therapy process)

How can I imagine using it to support treatment?

The online program motivates the client to continue to engage deeply with relevant topics between face-to-face therapy sessions and can also use the personal conversations to examine their thoughts, feelings and experiences (which occupied them during the online sessions) more closely in contact with their trusted therapist.

What specific hook is needed to introduce the concept?

Clients often complain that under tension and stress, they relapse into undesirable thought and behavior patterns that they actually wanted to leave behind. In this context, for example, it can be explained that a supplementary e-program for implementation in the home environment can be helpful in making desired changes consistent and long-term.

Is the effectiveness of PaarBalance scientifically proven?

PaarBalance was developed under the scientific direction of experienced partnership experts Prof. Dr. Ludwig Schindler and Dr. Judith Gastner and is based on the findings of more than 50 years of relationship research.

The high effectiveness of the tool was demonstrated in two controlled studies (in cooperation with the Universities of Bamberg and Bern) – once as self-directed application (self-help program), and once as an accompanying measure in a face-to-face counseling process (blended therapy).

Diagnostic

The CoupleBalance partnership test was designed according to all methodological requirements to depict the current state of each partner's perceived relationship quality (dimensions: experiencing and shaping the relationship). The test (64 items) takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Literature:
Schindler, L., Gastner, J., Henrich, G. & Metz, N. (2018): The development of the PaarBalance partnership test. Beratung Aktuell, 1/2018, 3-24.

Interventions

All interventions in the CoupleBalance program are evidence-based.

Therapeutic background

The scientific basis of the program is cognitive behavioral therapy.

Effectiveness of the program

The high effectiveness of the PaarBalance program was demonstrated in two controlled studies (in cooperation with the Universities of Bamberg and Bern) (pre-, post-, and follow-up surveys; each in comparison with a waiting list control group).

Study 1:
Self-directed use of PaarBalance (as a purely self-help program)

Literatur
Keller, A., Babl., A., Berger, T. , Schindler, L. (2021): Efficacy of the web-based PaarBalance program on relationship satisfaction, depression and anxiety – A randomized controlled trial. Science Direct.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782920301263

Study 2:
Use of PaarBalance as a supplementary measure in a face-to-face counseling process (blended therapy)

Literature:
Keller, A., Babl, A., Berger, T. & Schindler, L. (2021). Evaluation of the web-based PaarBalance® partnership program in conjunction with counseling. Behavioral therapy.
www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/518692

Update and expansion

As a colleague, you will receive a permanent user account (non-binding & free of charge), which gives you access to the program's inner workings at any time.

What costs will my clients incur?

The entire online coaching program can be completed in approximately two to three months. However, experience shows that clients typically take more time to allow the content to "sink in" between sessions and to have enough time to implement their plans in their often hectic daily lives.

Usage fees

The usage fees for the program are €59 for one month, €149 for three months, or €499 for unlimited program use.

Social discount

No one should be prevented from participating due to usage fees. If your client currently has no income but would like to start the program as soon as possible, they can contact us directly by email ([email protected]) (subject: social discount).

Termination

You can easily cancel your subscription (up to the last day of the booked period) using the cancellation button under "My Data".

Money-back guarantee

Should your client not experience initial positive changes in their partnership within 2 weeks, we will refund all coaching fees paid to date (a simple email to [email protected] within 14 days of the program start is sufficient).

Do you have any information material for me / my practice?

Yes! You can order free flyers for clients or colleagues at the following link: www.paarbalance.de/flyer

Create your free colleague account now

Register now → Duration: 2 min & Free

As part of your registration, we will inform you about research findings and news related to relationship satisfaction and CoupleBalance (via email). You can, of course, change or delete your information at any time ([email protected]).

I've already had a sneak peek at the program, it's sensational.