The author proposes a model format for the initial conjoint marital interview. Implementation of the model is discussed with regard to anxiety reduction, elicitation of pertinent data, diagnosis, treatment plan development, resultant length of therapy, and effectiveness as a teaching-supervising tool. (Author)

This study evaluated whether alcoholics who receive relapse prevention (RP) sessions in the year after a short-term behavioral marital therapy (BMT) do better at long-term follow-up than do those not receiving the additional RP. Sixty couples with an alcoholic husband, after participating in 10 weekly BMT couples group sessions, were assigned…

Coding systems have become popular methods of cataloging the verbal and nonverbal interaction occurring during marital and family therapy. One such system, Pinsof's (1981) Family Therapist Coding System (FTCS), was the first designed explicitly to identify and differentiate specific verbal behaviors of family therapists independent of their…

In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 clergymen highly involved in assisting divorcing couples, in an attempt to discern their attitudes toward intervention in divorce. Respondents viewed divorce as a traumatic experience involving four discrete psychological stages. (Author)

This report summarizes and compares the views of expert groups of lawyers, psychotherapists, and clergy on the divorcing process and the role of the professional in assisting the divorcing. There was considerably greater difference of opinion on these issues among the lawyers than among either the therapists or clergy. (Author)

Although contingency contracting is a popular strategy for use in treating distressed relationships, there is no direct evidence of its efficacy. A stimulus control model of change in behavioral couples' therapy states that conditions under which an agreement was negotiated are the primary determinants of whether the agreement is upheld. (Author)

This study investigated the effects of combining Transactional Analysis and Gestalt therapy with group counseling for married couples. Six treatment couples and 12 control group members were pre/post administered the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale to assess changes in the level of their self-esteem. There were some significant results. (Author/JEL)

Describes the features which distinguish psychoanalytic marital therapy from other forms of marital therapy, demonstrates how important classical psychoanalytic concepts can be applied to marital therapy, and presents a view of how object-relations theories and, particularly, the work of Fairbairn, Kohut, and Gilligan, can be applied to…

Conceptualizes intimate experience within a developmental, or epigenetic, framework of relational systems, views it from an evolutionary and historical perspective, and considers it in the light of hypotheses about gender differences. (Author/ABB)

Views treatment of sexual addiction within context of addiction and family therapy. Presents a case of sexual addiction and explicates an intervention model which emphasizes the importance of family participation in the treatment. (Author/NB)

Presents a theoretical model that focuses attention on the multiple arenas of life that are disrupted by divorce, the emotional stages of divorce, and the interpersonal dynamics of separating couples. Discusses the implications of these factors for strategically planning and carrying out the mediation process. (Author/ABB)

Tested the reliability and validity of the Marital Status Inventory (MSI), a measure of divorce potential (N=241 couples). Compound probability for five clinical sites supported the contention that, overall, wives' are more distressed than their husbands. The MSI was also able to identify couples who later divorced. (JAC)

Describes a marital enhancement tool, the Memory Board, that encourages spouses to recall positive memories of their married life. (Author)

Discusses the fast growing profession of mediation for couples undergoing separation and divorce. Discusses questions of consumers concerning how the process works, how long it takes, and its costs and questions of professionals, concerning the process, the qualifications of mediators, and referral for mediation. (Author/ABB)

Theories of therapeutic change involve unacknowledged judgments about how people should lead their lives. Greenberg and Johnson offer a model that should be appealing to many couples. However, the model's sweeping prescriptions for how marital therapists should proceed, and what effects they should seek, might best be interspersed with caveats…