Finding a qualified marriage and family therapist that the couple or family will be comfortable with requires some effort on the part of the consumer. There are many people out there who advertise themselves as marriage counselors or family therapists but do not have the credentials. The client must shop around, interview prospective therapists,…

Although few people bring their psychological problems to mental health professionals, research in the area of 'natural' help is rudimentary. To investigate the process and effectiveness of natural professional groups in helping individuals experiencing marital disruption, 42 helpers (14 mental health professionals, 14 divorce lawyers, and 14…

The authors present a model which follows the development of a male-female relationship through dating, marriage and divorce. They discuss the factors that cause friction between a husband and wife and offer procedures for coping with such friction. (SE)

Empirical research on behavioral marital therapy (BMT) was reviewed and it was concluded that BMT, with its emphasis on working on a strictly behavioral level with married couples, was an effective form of therapy. Six component analysis studies were then examined which showed a general trend in the studies indicating that strictly behavioral…

This paper considers the common association between marital problems and depression and describes the cognitive and behavioral factors which are common to these two problems. A set of cognitive behavioral interventions is presented, a treatment procedure which addresses cognitive and behavioral factors at the intrapersonal and interpersonal levels…

The Marital Satisfaction Inventory (MSI) is a potential instrument for differentiating couples with specific sexual distress from those with more general marital complaints. Couples (N=45) expressing primary complaints of dissatisfaction with their sexual relationship and couples (N=45) expressing primary complaints of generalized marital distress…

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…

"Feeling happy" focuses on the syndrome of self-indulgence, self-actualization or self-fulfillment as antagonistic to the survival of marital agreement. Inspite of the obvious redeeming qualities of either spouse the unhappy partner opts for divorce. The article posits the familial advantages of responsiblity and commitment and reviews the older…

This study investigated the ability of maritally-adjusted couples (N=12), couples attaining a divorce (N=5), and couples in counseling (N=9) to predict rewarding effects of their behavior on their spouse. The maritally-adjusted group was always more accurate in their predictions, but significantly more accurate only for selected areas of…

In this article the authors attempt to demonstrate how the principles of social exchange, reciprocity and distributive justice can be used to explain the development and continuation of marital dissatisfaction and conflict. (Author)

When training counseling students it is increasingly important to acquaint them with the clinical research literature exploring the efficacy of a particular treatment. In order to facilitate this educational process, some reviews of empirically supported treatments (ESTs) concerning marital problems are provided here. ESTs, also called…

Experience with 73 cases has shown the value of Transient Structured Distance as a maneuver in marriage therapy. While the TSD is a radical form of intervention with risks of anxiety reactions, homosexual panic, or divorce, it has proved effective with difficult forms of acute or chronic marital disharmony. (Author)

Treatment of married couples in groups by one therapist is described. Emphasis is placed on the fact that treatment problems and process in such groups are quite different from therapy groups in which the participants are not related outside the group and on the need to differentiate between couples' groups according to social and chronological…

The author describes the emergence of a new style of family physician whose education is incorporating more behavioral science and whose practice moves increasingly into the field of marital and sexual problems. Closer cooperation between physicians and clinical psychologists and marriage counselors is advocated. (Editor)

Describes therapist-structured marital separation for distressed couples during their critical period of deciding whether to divorce or remain married. Discusses characteristics of marital distress appropriate for structured marital separation, potential benefits, and design of the separation contract. Issues addressed include duration, frequency…