In this interview, Gerald Weeks shares his expertise on the topic of infidelity and couples counseling. Dr. Weeks defines infidelity, presents assessment strategies for treating the issue of infidelity, and discusses an intersystemic model for infidelity treatment when counseling couples. Dr. Weeks also provides insight into common mistakes made…

This paper provides a commentary on the special series on universal processes and common factors in couple therapy. The authors in this section share their insights, from varying perspectives, about what it is in couples therapy and relationship education programs that work, why they work, and for whom they work best. In so doing, these articles…

Smith, Vogel, Madon, and Edwards' (2011) recent article tested dyadic power theory (DPT) by examining the use of touch as a compliance-gaining tactic in the conflicts of married couples. In this response, we raise a methodological issue about the touch behaviors examined by Smith et al. and also pose a theoretical critique that their test of DPT…

Doctoral education in marital and family therapy (MFT) plays a crucial role in the future of the field. In this article, I write about the purposes, diversities, and futures of MFT doctoral education from the perspective of having hired 18 full-time MFT faculty over the last 13 years. I argue that the field needs well-rounded doctoral-level…

The authors of this article include the professor and most of the students in a doctoral course on marriage and family therapy ethical and professional issues that met the semester that a disturbed student shot and killed 32 Virginia Tech students and faculty before killing himself. In this article, we reflect through short essays on issues…

Discusses those couples in which each has reached a plateau in individual therapy and is referred for concurrent marital therapy to break the impasse. States that projective identification is the major defense used by these couples. Suggests a time-limited, issue-focused approach lasting two-six months. (Author/BH)

Suggests that by walking out of the consulting room, the therapist can stimulate enactment that would have been inhibited otherwise. Uses three case examples to illustrate the technique. Considers specific points of procedure and notes the technique's limitations and risks. (Author/BH)

Discusses shadow realities, which include unacceptable and threatening information and interpretations that could undermine negotiated relationship reality. Offers theoretical discussion of shadow realities, reasons people avoid them, gains and risks for exploring them, and the therapeutic applications of therapy within a framework that includes…

Discusses the role of the therapist in co-mediation of a divorce with a lawyer. Includes lawyer's expectations, differences from couple therapy, couples' expectations, kinds of appropriate and effective interventions, and creative mediation techniques. Demonstrates how two professionals can build a satisfying professional relationship. (Author/ABL)

Presents an interview with Everett L. Worthington, Jr., a clinical psychologist active broadly within the marriage and family counseling fields, as well as the Christian counseling movement. He sees himself as a bridge among the secular academic community, the general population, and broader religious populations. Describes his interests and…

Contends that familiar and comfortable family therapy theories were not designed to deal with violence and may help maintain collective avoidance of the issue of violence among family therapists. Explores limitations of therapeutic neutrality and dangers inherent in some interventions. Concludes that effective amelioration of family violence…

Asserts that considering ethical values of benevolence/nonmalevolence and respect for client autonomy raises questions about their limitations. Discusses extent to which marital and family therapists can or should adhere to these values; offers suggestions for possible changes. Argues that informed consent, respect for clients, and benevolence are…

The technique called "two-marriage therapy" (conjoint cotherapy by married cotherapy teams) has been developed to help couples in marital crises to confront the elusive nature of marriage. This paper attempts to show how the presence of a married cotherapy team adds a significant salutary perspective on the marriage in conflict. (Author)

Presents an interview with Peggy Papp, a faculty member at the Ackerman Institute for the Family, where she is director of the Depression in Context Project. The Interview focuses on Papp's journey to becoming a marriage and family therapist and her role as a leader in field of feminist therapy. (GCP)

Presents letter writing intervention that attempts to reestablish priority of digital language. Contends that, by having couples in therapy write letters to each others, much analogic communication is removed. Notes that letter writing allows couples to exchange new information and slow down speed with which they respond to each other, giving them…