As part of a continuing study of the differences between couples seeking marital therapy and those seeking sexual dysfunction therapy, this report examines these two clinical populations on the dimension of discrepant views of the marriage. Results suggest overall discrepancy scores may be an important indicator of stress between partners. (Author)

The purpose of the paper is to: identify the major types of cohabiting relationships; specify the personal characteristics and relationship characteristics of each cohabiting relationship type; and outline potential benefits and costs to the individual in each type of cohabiting relationship. Guidelines for counseling potentially cohabiting…

The values clarification process is a potentially useful means of helping couples improve their relationships and constructively manage their conflicts. In this paper practical values clarification strategies are presented for use within a positively-oriented couples' enrichment program. These approaches may also be incorporated into traditional…

Low-libido disorders are highly prevalent, may be extremely distressful to patients and their partners, and influence the course and prognosis of therapy. This paper focuses on this important aspect of human sexuality. Some clinical features of hypoactive sexual desire are described, and some hypotheses about etiology and prognosis are presented.…

The treatment by a qualified sex therapist of a sexually dysfunctional couple referred by a family or marital therapist often significantly facilitates the overall therapeutic progress. Resistance by partners or other family members is considered, as is the use of "unsuccessful" sex therapy as a diagnostic tool. (Author)

At Western Illinois University a three segment workshop has been initiated to help participants become aware of intimacy skills and facilitate their actual practice. The model has three separate sections; each is devoted to a distinct but related series of concepts and activities. (Author)

The exhibiting of the genitals by males has previously been defined as symptomatic of narcissism and infantile sexuality. As an alternative, defining the problem as symptomatic of disturbances in basic relationships and treating the current central relationships as the focus offers a strong opportunity for inducing satisfactory changes. (Author)

Equal voting rights in marriages enhance the relationship, but it is more difficult to manage, and consequently, there are many failures. Solutions offered include: (1) education as information-giving, often not acted upon; (2) therapy, which can come too late to be effective; and (3) marriage enrichment which applies new knowledge preventively.…

Reports results of a national survey of 550 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Approved Supervisors who answered questions regarding areas of concentration during supervision, specific techniques employed, professional goals and priorities, and theoretical models used in supervision. Compares results with those of a previous…

Presents findings from meta-analysis of 85 studies of premarital, marital, and family enrichment, representing 3,886 couples or families. Findings are discussed in terms of overall enrichment effectiveness and salient program, subject, design, measurement, and analysis characteristics. The most powerful factors related to outcome were measurement…

Describes a method of measuring counselor response style in marriage counseling. Counseling students (N=11) made two audiotapes of counseling sessions before and after a course in counseling relationships. Results showed an increase in responses to couple concerns and a decrease in response to individual concerns after the course. (JAC)

Treated a sample of 77 distressed middle- and lower-class couples using conjoint therapy. Couple and therapist therapy behavior were assessed. A variety of sex and social class differences were found, suggesting that no one marital therapy technique will be appropriate for both sexes and different SES backgrounds. (JAC)

Describes programs for family counseling which use psychological-educational and skills training methods to remediate individual and family problems or enhance family life. The six articles discuss client-centered skills training, behavioral approaches, cognitive behavioral marital therapy, Adlerian parent education, and couple communication. (JAC)

This paper reports on the results of research on attempts to increase the self-understanding and career choice skills of student wives. An experimental group that underwent a workshop was compared to a control group on a number of personality and career scales. The two groups were not significantly different. (NG)

A pre-marital assessment method is described which utilizes interviews with the young couple, with both sets of parents and group interviewing with all six key persons involved in the plans for marriage. The use of selected tests and particular methods of examining the couple's relationship are discussed. (Author)