Marriage and family therapy (MFT) training programs need to create opportunities for all students to develop cultural competency by raising their racial awareness and sensitivity. Likewise, therapists of color need to be offered space in MFT programs to voice their experiences and venues for their voices to be heard. This article reports on the…

Prior to dissolution, it is likely that couples that become severely distressed first pass through an at-risk stage in which they experience early symptoms of marital deterioration but have not yet suffered irreversible damage to their marriage. It is during this "at-risk" stage when couples might benefit most from early intervention. In response…

Is spiritual diversity a neglected dimension in preparation for multicultural competency? The authors present an interdisciplinary overview of research related to multicultural training in spirituality and religion to address this issue. Findings indicate that counseling program leaders have minimal preparation in spiritual and religious diversity…

The social learning approach to marital and family therapy emphasizes the importance of clients' compliance with homework assignments to treatment progress. To investigate the relationship between clients' homework compliance and therapists' and clients' behaviors during therapy sessions and clients' intrasession tension and satisfaction, the…

Marital infidelity has two primary dimensions--on overt social-cultural facade and a covert, intense, emotional component. A therapy strategy, based on this formulation and on the presumption that both spouses were equally responsible for the marital fracture, is presented. (Author)

Counselors, as well as other members of the educational team, can play a major role in the development of marriage, family, and child counseling services in the community. A rationale for these services is offered, and specific means for implementing a broad educational and counseling program are suggested. (Author)

Presented as the Presidential Address for the National Council on Family Relations, St. Louis, October 1974. Discusses the profession of family study regarding future trends and needs. (HMV)

This paper offers an overview of existing services for divorcing individuals and their children, and focuses specifically on one model of divorce counseling. Emerging trends are identified as the monograph addresses the practical, financial, emotional and social services now offered in the U.S. The bulk of the document is devoted to the format,…

Where one of the parties is under 18, California law since November, 1970 has required premarital counseling before receipt of a marriage license. This article describes the program, established to meet this need based on a model of education about problems of everyday living. (Author)

Two communication training programs--the Communication Skills Workshop (CSW) and the Couples Communication Program (CCP)--and a wait-list control group were compared on measures of communication effectiveness, problem solving and relationship satisfaction. Subjects were 54 volunteer couples randomly assigned to conditions. Highly distressed…

Based upon Maslow's hierarchy of human needs, interpersonal attraction (any personal relationship characterized by love and affection; husband-wife, parent-child, friendship) can be seen as the mutual meeting of emotional needs, especially at the fourth level (love needs) and the fifth level (esteem needs). These levels are differentiated into 10…

Current social changes reinforce the need for trained marriage and family counselors. After a brief examination of these changes, the authors suggested paraprofessional training as one alternative for providing needed marriage and family counseling services. Already established paraprofessional programs, advantages, disadvantages, and the…

This paper outlines a program designed for preparing groups of engaged couples for marriage in circumstances where program time is limited to two afternoon sessions. Six topic areas are covered: Adjustments and Priorities; Communication Skills; Parenthood; Money Management; Religious Dimensions in Marriage; and Sexuality. The method used is one of…

Several authors describe group counseling programs provided by a university counseling center to meet student needs for developing interpersonal communication skills and self-assertion behavior. In response to these needs, the counseling center provided personal growth groups, a proactive black group, a women's group, a marriage growth group, and…

This article contains recommendations for the integration of knowledge and competence from the fields of family law, marriage counseling, judicial administration, and eugenics. The goal is to find ways to minimize marital trauma and thereby improve the quality of family life. (Author)