Brief Therapy for Couples Helping Partners Help Themselves

The focus is on helping each partner acquire the skills to modify his or her individual behavior in the service of joint relationship goals. In its briefest form, the therapy comprises a collaborative approach to assessment that develops the couple's commitment to self-guided cha nge. Some couples can then proceed with minimal further input from the clinician, while others may benefit from additional sessions of relat ionship psychoeducation or more traditional therapist-guided change. T he book includes sample client handouts and forms addressing such prac tical areas as self-evaluation of communication skills, problem solvin g, and conflict management.

W. Kim Halford, PhD, is Professor of Clinical Psychology in the School of Applied Psychology at Griffith University, in Brisbane, Australia. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Latrobe University in Melbourne, Australia in 1978. Over the last 15 years, Dr. Halford's practice, clinical research, and publications have focused predominantly on work with couples. He has presented clinical workshops on his approach to couple therapy in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and North America.