Stereotypical notions of who experiences homelessness frame how educational institutions approach policy and program development. This life history of a teacher challenges assumptions by providing an in-depth look at a mother's struggle to find stability.

"Cat's Eyes" is a novel about suffering and endurance, early marriage, spirituality and the sanctuary it provides, and Sufism in particular. It uses certain motifs to depict the psychological suffering of a young girl, caused by her conservative father and unsatisfactory marriage, which persists until she finally reaches a moment of…

Marriage is on the decline. Men and women of the youngest generation are either marrying in their late twenties or not marrying at all. Childbearing has also been postponed, but not as much as marriage. The result is that a growing proportion of children are born to unmarried parents--roughly 40 percent in recent years, and over 50 percent for…

Client readiness for change is garnering increased interest both conceptually and methodologically. This article describes the reliability, validity, and utility of a measure of readiness for couple relationship change, Schneider's (2003) Stages of Relationship Change Questionnaire (SRCQ). Based on the Transtheoretical Model of Change, the…

In her welcome and opening remarks, Lynne Peyton--a consultant specialising in children's services in Northern Ireland--set the scene for the proceedings of this seminar on marital separation. She confirmed that the escalating extent of marital separation is a worldwide phenomenon and certainly one that represents an increasing challenge for…

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…

The impacts of violence for young children and their caregivers are multidimensional. The story of 2-year-old Tyronne, his mother, Josephine, and his father, James, illustrates the use of a relationship-focused treatment, child-parent psychotherapy (CPP), in addressing the traumatic consequences of exposure to violence. This family's story…

The best education no doubt comes from a student staying in one school system from elementary to high school. Some students are fortunate to have a consistent education; some are not as fortunate. Continuity in instruction, learner outcomes, emotional stability, and social relationships prevail when students live in one location as long as…

American families and workplaces have both changed dramatically over the past half-century. Paid work by women has increased sharply, as has family instability. Education-related inequality in work hours and income has grown. These changes, says Suzanne Bianchi, pose differing work-life issues for parents at different points along the income…

As the number of people choosing to marry has plunged during recent decades, the tally of children living with one parent and having limited or no contact with the other has soared. Attuned to the hazards that such separations impose upon children but also upon parents who, studies show, fare physically and emotionally better in a thriving…

Divorce in Germany and in many other countries is often instigated by the wife, even though marital disruption has much more negative economic consequences for women than for men. Both observations, however, are not necessarily a contradiction. Women may gain something that makes up for the economic loss. On the one hand, using data on income and…

Premarital cohabitation has consistently been found to be associated with increased risk for divorce and marital distress in the United States. Two explanations for this "cohabitation effect" are discussed: selection and experience. We present an empirically based view of how the experience of cohabitation may increase risk for…

Excerpts are presented from a counseling session in which parents of a brain damaged nine-year-old struggle with issues of depression, anger, and resentment compounded by lack of communication with each other. They faced conflicts over their son's actual capabilities and the dreams they had had for him. (CL)

Techniques of structured communication training, integrating Guerney's conjugal therapy model and Carkhuff's systematic facilitative training, are described in detail. This method offers a concise and effective technology for enhancing communication skills in couples who are experiencing marital conflicts. (Author)

Describes Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP), empirically based intervention program to prevent marital distress and divorce. Presents results of longitudinal studies indicating PREP's short and long-term effectiveness. Discusses clinical implications, current dissemination efforts in United States and Europe, and future…