We examined the utility of naive ratings of communication patterns and relationship quality in a large sample of distressed couples. Untrained raters assessed 10-min videotaped interactions from 134 distressed couples who participated in both problem-solving and social support discussions at each of 3 time points (pre-therapy, post-therapy, and…

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 participants in this discussion agreed, in general, that the therapist does have the responsibility of guiding the patient towards the decisions that he believes to be most beneficial even if they imply important life decisions or are contrary to the mores of society. (Author/CG)

Implications of Feminist and Humanistic values for marriage are conceptualized. Their effects on therapist orientation and definitions of the viable marriage are discussed, together with proposed alternatives in marital intervention. It is concluded that value orientations and standards of positive mental health could provide therapists and…

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)

This study tested whether the observed marital interactions of partners following a marriage checkup predicted marital satisfaction 2 years later. In addition, this study examined whether recommendations to pursue therapy predicted subsequent treatment seeking and whether changes in marital distress following the checkup remained stable over 2…

Assessed the prevalence and frequency of marital violence for 88 male alcoholics and their wives at entry to and 1 year after completing a behavioral marital therapy (BMT) program. Although violence and prevalence decreased significantly after treatment, the alcoholics' drinking outcome status was associated with the extent of violence after BMT.…

We discuss the status of the scientist-practitioner model in marriage and family therapy (MFT) doctoral programs. Issues discussed include a lack of faculty research role models in doctoral programs, "farming out" the majority of research courses to other disciplines, problems with curriculum, and how the culture of MFT does not support research.…

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)

This report presents data from a telephone survey of a randomly selected sample of 292 marriage and family therapists (MFTs) who were Clinical Members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. The study, designed to better understand the current state of the field of MFT, provides descriptive data on the demographic…

This essay on marriage and family therapy begins with background information on the institutions of marriage and the family, including religious and social forces, and the effects of the industrial revolution on American society. The impact of the two world wars on the social, political, economic, and psychological climate of the United States is…

This book is designed to bridge the gap between the reality of professional practice and what is being written about it in professional publications. It is divided into three sections, focusing on the techniques of assessment, transgenerational techniques, and constructivist techniques. Section one argues that assessment is the basis of all…