# Using Theater Testing to Inform Community‐Engaged Cultural Adaptation in Couple and Family Therapy Research

## TL;DR

This paper explores how theater testing can help researchers adapt couple and family therapy for different communities by gathering feedback through immersive experiences.

## Contribution

The paper introduces theater testing as a novel method for gathering community feedback during cultural adaptation of therapy interventions.

## Key findings

- Theater testing allows community members to experience therapy elements and provide detailed feedback.
- The method was successfully applied to adapt Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy for LGBTQIA+ communities.
- The paper outlines specific steps and considerations for implementing theater testing in cultural adaptation research.

## Abstract

Researchers seeking to use community‐engaged methods to culturally adapt a couple and family therapy intervention often face a dilemma of how to gather meaningful feedback from a focal community about adapting an intervention that may be unfamiliar to them. The use of theater testing can provide a beneficial means for solving this challenge. Theater testing is an innovative approach allowing members of the focal population to experience elements of the target intervention to elicit informed and specific feedback. This paper provides a detailed description of theater testing, a set of specific steps for conducting theater testing, and a thorough discussion of the decision points and considerations relevant for applying theater testing to inform cultural adaptation research. We also provide a case example describing the use of theater testing to culturally adapt Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy with members of LGBTQIA+ communities.