The authors of Open Marriage reiterate the meaning and possibilities of the open marriage concept and advance suggestions for change in the areas of residence, work, child care, and educational patterns. Human service systems must search out the universal values to be maintained in all human relationships. (Editor)

This article delineates predivorce counseling, divorce counseling, and post-divorce counseling. The author suggests that the term Marriage counselor'' is too restricted and advances the term marriage and divorce counselor'' as a replacement. (Editor)

Discusses the politics of marital therapy, using behavioral marital therapy as an illustrative model. Views marital therapy as inherently political with therapists continuously adopting political postures unknowingly. Inadvertent consequences of this insensitivity to the political context of their work are to reinforce traditional values, many…

Marital adjustment of graduate students was examined in terms of (a) student status of spouse; (b) gender; (c) age; and (d) duration of marriage. Marital adjustment of students whose partners were also engaged in studies was significantly higher than that of students whose partners were not engaged in studies. (Author)

Compared selected psychological indices of married couples who attended marriage enrichment programs. Results reveal that participants in the five-week group showed more improved marital adjustment than those in the weekend group. Wives demonstrated more positive changes than husbands. Overall, both marriage enrichment programs appeared to be…

Examines the success of (N=13) premarital counseling programs. Reviews programs which outlined standardized intervention procedures and utilized dependent measures to assess the program's effectiveness. Premarital counseling programs were generally found to be atheoretical in their approach to intervention, loosely designed, and nonspecific as to…

Presents an operational definition of intimacy and reviews evidence that a lack of intimacy is associated with nonpsychotic emotional illness, marital maladjustment, and family dysfunction. Describes and illustrates a technique, cognitive self-disclosure, which facilitates marital intimacy. Discusses the role of self-disclosure, modeling, and…

Marital and family therapy has gained credibility and emerged as a viable treatment approach for most mental health problems. The field is beginning to develop integrative conceptual models, utilize clinically relevant assessment techniques, conduct systematic outcome research, and develop preventative and enrichment programs. (Author)

This paper points out a potential intersect between marriage counseling and developmental psychology. In so doing, it raises some questions about the possible widespread adoption of open marriage and its subsequent problems for marriage counseling. (Author)

The development of a classification system for analysis of specific verbal marital communications utilizing videotaped Stimulus-Modeling procedures is described. Findings reveal specific marital verbal behaviors can be operationalized and reliably measured. The results indicate the need to combine modern technology with modeling procedures in…

This paper reviews data on the incidence of marital violence and recommends methods of intervention on a family and social level. Myths which may block awareness of this widespread problem are briefly described. Particular attention is given to the inadequacy of the catharsis hypothesis in explaining and treating marital violence. (Author)

Assessed marital conflict and endocrine function in 90 newlywed couples. Blood samples were examined to provide composite and daytime values for three stress hormones and three related hormones. Data provided a window on endocrine function in couples for whom the day included conflicts. Discusses findings in the context of gender models of marital…

Replicated Everett's (1980) survey of Approved Supervisors of American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Found significant differences in today's supervision including increase in female supervisors, shift toward systemic theoretical orientation, more supervisors in formal training settings, increase in video recording usage,…

Related individual experiences of shame, inferiority, alienation, self-esteem, and gender to perceptions of equity, intimacy, and competency in marital relations. Found no significant gender-based differences in shame intensity. Findings suggest that shame is a different experience from low self-esteem and is influential in perceptions of marital…

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.…