This presentation by a practicing marital therapist describes how exercise behavior can be used as a preventive measure against spouse abuse. This crisis intervention approach is intended to help couples develop stopgap techniques to prevent physical violence; it is one segment of a more comprehensive approach which might include contingency…

Alcohol abuse imposes financial, social, and emotional burdens on drinkers and their families. Couples suffering from alcohol-related problems who seek therapy often have expectations of retribution, restitution, and refuge. Although thoughts of retribution are difficult to elicit in therapy, non-drinking spouses often expect to inflict pain on…

Outlines a treatment approach integrating behavioral and marital interventions for working with agoraphobics and their partners. Where interactions arouse anxiety, agoraphobes and significant others become embroiled in a circular transaction which causes mutual resentment and entrenched symptomatology. Suggests a method to help develop a…

Examines the Marriage Contract Game which can improve the skills of distressed couples and refocus their attention away from their children and toward their own marriages. Subjects were four distressed couples. Results showed that game play improved couple's problem-solving and positive feeling statements in home discussions of problems. (BH)

Addresses ethical issues in the engagement and termination phases of marital and family therapy. Engagement phase must examine commitment to systemic intervention versus serving motivated clients. Termination phase must examine client's and therapist's ways of managing readiness, prematurity, and follow-up. Proposed solutions are suggested. (ABL)

Features an examination of the ethical issues affecting decisions for serving clients when systemic intervention is indicated but critical family members resist engagement. Discussion focuses on conceptual and empirical information concerning engagement for systemic intervention as well as possible solutions to ethical dilemmas that affect…

Describes the use of a penny game as a counseling technique to interrupt an unwanted cycle of behavior between spouses. The game can be explained in terms of both paradox and power and is useful with several marriage counseling techniques which teach more appropriate verbal behavior. (JAC)

Tested the hypothesis that low consensus of volunteer couples completing the Spouse Observation Checklist underestimates that achieved by clinic couples. That hypothesis was not supported. Couples (N=10) beginning marital therapy achieved agreement rates on joint SOC behaviors of 38.6 percent. Findings confirm the low reliability of spouse…

Through the use of several case studies explores the concepts of amicable divorce and unhappy marriage. Effective marital strategies are delineated, and the rationale and implementation of creative divorce counseling is described. (Author/RC)

Four cases are presented to illustrate the clinical usefulness of a new, statistically validated, visual-verbal test to evaluate couple relationships at seven different stages of the life cycle. Results from this test can be correlated with dimensions measured with another instrument, allowing to evaluate whether any progress has taken place as a…

Discusses several myths and underscores some active ingredients of couples counseling. The adjunctive value of bibliotherapy is presented and the interactions among such components as similarity, compatibility, mood, disposition, temperament, and communication are elucidated. Clinical vignettes illustrate several crucial issues and principles.…

Client demands for immediate relief plus restrictions on the duration of therapy brought about by managed care are pressures that influence the marriage counselor. This article discusses the use of the TFA model as a viable, solution-focused approach to marriage counseling. (Contains 19 references.) (Author)

Given increases in the use of technology in counseling, family counselors must become aware of the ethical considerations for infusing technology in their training and practice methods. Standards for Internet counseling practice, supervision practice, and the training of family counselors have not kept pace with the advances in technology. An…

Presents initial support and validation of an inventory based upon a three-stage synthesized model of forgiveness in marital relationships. The measure achieved internal reliability, and a confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the resulting subscales are a good fit with the data. Further results offered preliminary support for the…

This article provides highlights from an interview with Dr. Robert Wubbolding, a leading expert in the area of reality therapy. Details concerning how Dr. Wubbolding applies and integrates reality therapy and choice theory in counseling with couples and families will be explored. (GCP)