Couples Therapy, Second Edition

Harness the power of an integrative approach to couples counseling! Why do marriages fail? The behaviorist or cognitive therapist explains that unhappy couples have self-defeating ways of thinking about their spouses and themselves. The sociologically oriented counselor points to the impact of social trends and dramatic changes in child-rearing and social expectations. A therapist oriented toward psychodynamics or systems theory sees the destructive patterns of childhood replayed in the marriage, with spouses taking on rigid roles. The pastoral or humanist counselor believes that partners who cannot experience self-fulfillment through commitment and trust will feel less love and grow more and more disconnected. Couples Therapy, Second Edition, brings together all these points of view to make a unified whole. This integrative approach proposes a new model of successful marriage based on four cornerstones: resiliency, social support, adaptability, and self-fulfillment. Weaving together theory and research, Couples Therapy, Second Edition, explores how common issues can lead to trouble in relationships. It suggests specific interventions so therapists can teach clients to deal with such problem areas as anger management, domestic violence, depression, anxiety, parenting conflicts, in-laws, work pressures, and sexual dissatisfaction. Couples Therapy, Second Edition, offers a sound theoretical framework as well as practical ideas. Through clinical vignettes and up-to-date research, it makes the common conflicts and developmental stages of marriage so understandable that it can be profitably read by clients as well as counselors. Its invaluable resources for the couples therapist include: end-of-chapter professional development questions therapeutic exercises answers to frequently asked professional and ethical questions intervention suggestions for the therapist self-assessment questionnaires book and video recommendations on each chapter topic Written in clear, readable prose, Couples Therapy, Second Edition, offers practical help for the experienced clinician as well as theoretical overviews for the counselor in training.

Linda Berg-Cross, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Howard University, in Washington, DC