The role of cognitions in marital relationships has received increasing attention. Specific beliefs about marital relationships have shown consistent correlations with overall marital satisfaction. As a measure of dysfunctional beliefs about intimate relationships, the Relationship Belief Inventory provides five dysfunctional beliefs scores. This…

To demonstrate the utility of Rational Emotive Therapy in pre-marital counseling, examples of specific irrational beliefs which clinicians can use to help couples are presented. Mental health practitioners are encouraged to apply these principles to other specific irrationalities they may discover in their own work experience. (Author)

Although interest has increased in applying cognitive behavior therapies to conjoint treatment of marital problems, the role of cognitive processes in marital maladjustment and in couples' orientations toward marital therapy has not been sufficiently investigated. The association between couples' levels of marital distress and their goals for…