Abstract:
This study looked at the adjustment experiences of couples in living-apart-together
marriages and came out with counselling or coping strategies for couples in LAT
marriages. The study was guided by four research questions. The study was qualitative
in nature adopting phenomenological case study design. Sixteen (16) married couples
were sampled for the study. Of the 16 participants, five were males, and 11 were
females. The sampling techniques used for the study were the purposive sampling and
snowballing techniques. Data were gathered using interview guide and were analysed
thematically. The outcome of the study were that couples in LAT marriages enjoy
adequate time for career goals. Despite the merits of LAT marriages, it was also
revealed among other things that couples in LAT marriages experience lack of
companionship and intimacy, and there is a high incidence of infidelity among couples.
Effective communications, forgiveness among others were the coping strategies
couples in LAT marriages used. In order to harness the inherent potential and
advantages and minimize the drawbacks of LAT relationships, it was recommended
that couples must cultivate the habit of effective communication, maximizing the power
of virtues such as love, forgiveness and trust and practice the value of acceptance of
responsibility, use work and social activities as a distraction, apply the principles of
cognitive restructuring.
Description:
A dissertation in the Department of Counselling Psychology,
Faculty of Educational Studies, Submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies, in partial fulfillment
of the requirement for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Guidance and Counselling)
in the University of Education, Winneba
