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…

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…

What is the extent to which marriage/couple and family therapy (M/CFT) journals address transgender issues and how many of them say they are inclusive of transgender persons when they are not? To answer these queries, a content analysis was conducted on articles published in M/CFT literature from 1997 through 2009. Of the 10,739 articles examined…

For a study of marital togetherness and apartness, the partners in 136 couples completed questionnaires. The role of disrespect, a factor serving as an abrasive in marriage, was investigated. Findings suggest that therapy for couples with a presenting problem of insufficient contact may first have to deal with abrasive factors. (Author)

The author's system of premarital counseling and examination consists of four visits before marriage and one after. These visits are for introducing the contractual elements of marriage; taking medical histories and physical examinations; introducing a program for beginning marriage; and resolving problems in the early weeks of marriage. (BP)

A marital intervention method similar to conjoint counseling and requiring professional involvement with only one spouse in a marital dyad was investigated. Prior to the treatment, one spouse from each of 44 couples was trained in open, genuine self-disclosure and empathic understanding skills. After this training, 19 spouses trained their…

A description is presented of a marital program provided couples by a marital and family therapy training center. Included are the goals, topics, techniques, and procedures for conducting a premarital assessment. (Author)

Discusses contrasting conceptual paradigms describing the nature of intimate relationships. Relationships may be viewed in terms of a rational bargain or as an emotional bond. The implications of each paradigm for the process of marital therapy and the role of bonding and attachment in adult intimacy are prescribed. Implications for marital…

Explored elicited effects of changes in approval and disapproval behaviors on behaviors and perceived satisfaction of dating partners. Couples reported their perceptions of their behaviors. Disapproval elicited strong reciprocal behavior and dissatisfaction. Approval-eliciting effects occurred but were weaker. Male elicitors felt less satisfied…

The classification of couples' intrapersonal interaction styles assessed in terms of clinical judgment was compared with assessment based on the Pair Attraction Inventory. The degree of agreement was highly significant on five of the seven inventory categories; this was considered to be evidence for the validity of the inventory. (Author/JKS)

Adlerians believe that change of any lasting value has a fundamental dependency on the client's awareness of how he incorrectly processes data in his life; he must develop the insight necessary to correct the errors in his life style. Also, the therapist must know the goals of the client's behavior in order to make relevant comments in therapy.…

The Inventory of Pre-Marital Conflict (IPMC) is a systematic procedure for the diagnosis and assessment of pre-marital conflict and related issues. The self-report component of the IPMC involves a series of 18 hypothetical conflict situations. The individual responds to each of these by evaluating who is primarily responsible for the problem, and…

This study focuses on event descriptions in two couples' talks about relationship troubles in front of counselors, examining discursive patterns that have a recurring, predictable, sequential pattern. The relationship dynamics of couples' relationship troubles are discussed. (31 references) (MDM)

The tenets of traditional sex therapy based on dysfunction and pathology are critiqued, and a feminist model proposed. Recognizing that equity and power issues, particularly in heterosexual relationships, are basic issues, women and issues of gender are at the center of the model. Three cases illustrate the model. (Author/EMK)