The Heart of Couple Therapy Knowing What to Do and How to Do It

Grounded in a deep understanding of what makes intimate relationships succeed, this book provides concrete guidelines for addressing the complexities of real-world clinical practice with couples. Leading couple therapist Ellen Wachtel describes the principles of therapeutic interventions that motivate couples to alter entrenched patterns, build on strengths, and navigate the “legacy” issues that each person brings to the relationship. She illuminates the often unrecognized choices that therapists face throughout the session and deftly explicates their implications. The epilogue by Paul Wachtel situates the author's pragmatic approach in the broader context of contemporary psychotherapy theory and research.

Ellen F. Wachtel, PhD, JD, is on the adjunct faculty of the Ackerman Institute for the Family in New York. For many years Dr. Wachtel worked with Physicians for Human Rights and HealthRight International doing evaluations of people who were seeking political asylum, and she has mentored other psychologists volunteering with these organizations. She is the author of several books for professionals and the general public and gives workshops on couples and families both in the United States and internationally. 

1. Introduction: Dilemmas and Choices in Couple Therapy
2. What Is a Good Relationship?
3. Principles and Methods
4. The First Session
5. The Individual in the System: A Critical Pathway to Change
6. Common Underlying Relationship Issues and How to Address Them
7. From the First to the Second Session: Clinical Illustrations
8. The Genogram: A Window into the Psyche
9. "The Things They Carry": Working with Legacy Issues
10. Deepening Connections
11. Troubleshooting Common Challenges
Epilogue. Principles of Change in Individual and Couple Therapy, Paul L. Wachtel
References
Index