Summarizes trends in theory and research on marriage and family therapy over the past decade. Finds particularly noteworthy the debates over the "new epistemology" and the feminist critique of family therapy. On basis of identified trends, makes recommendations for research in the 1990s. (Author/NB)

Conducted three studies of in-session changes in emotionally focused couples therapy. Found that couples' conflict interaction at end of treatment was more affiliative and interdependent than at beginning of treatment and that peak session conflict interaction was deeper in level of experience and more affiliative than interaction in poor session…

Notes that family life educators share same ethical concerns with other regulated mental health professionals, but practice of family life education is not guided by code of ethics. Discusses reasons for this absence. Considers unique practice issues created by educational model and group context in which services are delivered. Proposes…

Questions adequacy with which insight-oriented marital therapy (IOMT) and behavioral marital therapy (BMT) were represented in Snyder, Wills, and Grady-Fletcher's (1991) comparative treatment study. Contends that BMT treatment manual fails to include recent innovations in behavioral technology and IOMT manual includes many skills integral to BMT.…

Briefly describes Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and explains Relationship Enhancement (RE) marital and family therapy. Provides rationale for understanding BPD as manifestation of lack of differentiation in intimate relationships, followed by explanation of how RE fosters differentiation between partners. Includes case study. (Author/NB)

Presents basic information concerning normal aging that therapists need to understand sources of conflict and distress in older or caregiving couples. Describes unique aspects of assessment and intervention with older couples. Examines marital satisfaction across life span, including factors that alter marital functioning, developmental tasks and…

Provides practical review of selected methods of counseling from constructivist orientation: use of repertory grid technique, metaphorical constructions, family transaction procedure, system "bow ties," and various enactment procedures. Provides examples of methods in counseling contexts and further references to additional illustrations…

Surveyed 598 marriage/family practitioners to examine use of standardized assessment instruments in practice. Responses from 188 clinicians who reported use of tests revealed that 147 different standardized tests were used in marriage and family therapy practice. Test use was most frequent for treatment planning purposes, except in premarital area…

Notes that outdoor adventure experiences, traditionally associated with programs like Outward Bound and Project Adventure, have evolved into specific interventions for number of therapeutic populations. Presents brief history and overview of documented use of adventure experiences in marriage and family therapy and enrichment. Offers illustrations…

Investigates the use of intervention rationales that matched the participants' positions of beliefs in marriage therapy. Participants rated each treatment recommendation for acceptability. A variety of interventions were utilized. The interventions paired with rationales. Participant positions were rated significantly more acceptable than…

Discusses some of the specific problems associated with the adoption of the family life-cycles (FLC) theory and paradigm in marriage and family therapy (MFT). Four ideas are offered as ways to "re-vision" the FLC paradigm in MFT in the areas of theory, research, and therapy. (Author/MKA)

Explores recent use of qualitative methodology in research relating to marriage and family counseling. The seven research articles described highlight the potential benefits and challenges qualitative methodology can have for the field of marriage and family counseling. (Author/MKA)

Explores the hypothesis that spouses involved in couples counseling will present similar intimacy complaints. Couples (N=100) described their expectations and perceptions of current marital intimacy. Results show that husbands and wives came to counseling with different intimacy complaints. Discusses implications of these results for case…

Divorced parents (n=14) and professionals (n=16) who work with divorced individuals were interviewed to examine how they experience the child access and visitation process. Findings identified problematic themes regarding child access and visitation, potential solutions, and suggested services that fall under the expertise of marriage and family…

Reviews the literature on sexual attraction in relation to the practice of marriage and family therapy and investigates how family-therapists-in-training regard this phenomenon. Results reveal that new therapists dealing with attraction in therapy encounter a myriad of emotional responses. Proposes that it is the clinical supervisor's…