The concept of Japanese Bushido and its seven virtues were introduced by the authors in this article for the practice and application of couple communication. The Bushido Matrix Worksheet (BMW) was created for enhancing couple's awareness and understanding of each other's values and experiences. An activity and a case study to demonstrate the use…

The use of the EPPS in pre-marital and marital therapy is described. Six pairs of related needs are established, i.e., deference and dominance; order and change; exhibition and intraception; autonomy and affiliation; succorance and nurturance; abasement and aggression. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the usefulness of the EPPS.…

The strategy of quid pro quo negotiation as it is applied to couple therapy and taught as a problem solving method to couples with unsatisfactory relationships is examined and the theoretical basis for the clinical application of quid pro quo and its potentials as a therapeutic tool presented. (Author)

This paper provides a rationale for group pre-marriage counseling based on the social nature of factors influencing the marriage model. The author suggests that while group pre-marriage counseling invites disillusionment, it offers the antidote--the realization that disillusionment occurred not necessarily because of a bad choice, but because of…

"Marriage" is treated as a mental concept that evolves in a developmental sequence of four qualitatively distinct stages: Magical, Idealized Conventional, Individualistic, and Affirmational. Each stage is illustrated with excerpts from Ingmar Bergman's Scenes From a Marriage. Some applications for marriage counselors are suggested. (Author)

The author focuses on the needs that married couples try to satisfy at the level of nonconsciousness and which, as a rule, produce problems at the cognitive and behavioral levels. Suggestions for the marital therapist are included. (Author)

The courtship contracts serve as conceptual frames of reference to understand the normative structure and the psychodynamic components in distress. The contract established during courtship is explored in order to develop, during the time of marital crisis, explicitly negotiated standards. The goal is to re-educate the spouses to meet each others'…

The increasing popularity of contracting and negotiation training with marital couples suggests a need for systematic analysis of the models available for such training. Working within a behavioral framework two major categories of contracting are developed, and their logical form is considered. (Author)

Explores whether marital relationships of doctoral students are affected while they are in graduate school. Results show no significant differences among the marital satisfaction of graduate students at different stages in their program. Differences were found with couples involved in marital therapy. Spouses of graduate students reported less…

The authors present a technique they have found useful with clients seeking sex therapy. (HMV)

The complex issues in the relationship between cotherapists who are doing sex therapy have not received adequate attention. Differences in status, experience, and training; aspects of the personal relationship between therapists; and the sexual content of their work are typical issues that arise and can affect the outcome of treatment. (Author/NG)

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is an approach for working with couples that focuses on the negative interaction cycles perpetuated by deep-seated emotional vulnerabilities. This therapy attempts to alleviate distress by intervening on an emotional level in order to promote more caring interactions that can enhance relationships. Proponents…

Couples whose early wounds cause narcissistic and borderline defenses may benefit from treatment with a psychodynamically oriented couples therapist. This article presents a treatment method that helps partners become attuned to each other's underlying injuries and vulnerabilities. The goal is to rebuild damaged structures of the self and to…

In discussing sexual behavior as part of and as a result of the total personality, it is appropriate to examine all aspects of a person's handwriting rather than examining only lower looped components in evaluating sexual disturbances. The development of sexual mores and sex roles in our culture from the early Greeks, Romans, and Hebrews through…

This guide is intended to familiarize therapists with the scope of marital difficulties and the range of techniques found useful in dealing with them. While it is tempting to think that proven techniques can be matched to specific marital problems, the literature cautions that predicting outcome in therapy research depends not only on the…