Short-Term Object Relations Couples Therapy

Brief therapies have become popular -- indeed a necessity -- in today's managed care environment. Perhaps because object relations theory for couples is one of the more complex psychoanalytic models, it has not been adapted to a short-term model until now. In Short-Term Object Relations Couples Therapy, James Donovan incorporates long-term object relations techniques into brief couples therapy, empowering therapists in time-limited or managed care environments to utilize this extremely effective approach. This illuminating resource presents an innovative and practical five-step model grounded in solid clinical findings as well as a clear and engaging primer on the complex psychodynamic approach of object relations theory. Donovan provides a summary of successful couples therapy thechniques, while adding depth to the understanding and effective intervention of the recurring impasse he refers to as "the fight" present in every couple relationship. Replete with case illustrations, this text shows how psychotherapy actually takes place while also focusing on specific circumstances and interventions that support change. It illustrates how implementing an eclectic approach to treatment and individualizing techniques to the couples' characterological styles is the optimal strategy in successful couples therapy. Book jacket.

James M. Donovan, Ph.D., is a veteran of HMO mental health work, serving as a staff psychologist at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates in Boston and Wellesley, Massachusetts for 30 years. He is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in Psychology at Harvard Medical School