This article describes the philosophical foundations and educational methods of a Spanish language and cultural immersion program based in Mexico City, Mexico. The program is designed to assist U.S. graduate students in marriage and family therapy and clinical psychology programs to improve clinical service delivery with Latino clients. Utilizing…

Describes the history and development of the residential marriage and family therapy training program at the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas. Discusses the initial approval and focus, financial support, staff, students, and the conflict between counseling and traditional psychiatric therapy. (JAC)

"Matesim" was designed to help users identify areas of conflict and fulfillment with potential mates and aid rational clarification of values. The computer simulates marriage, evaluates the consequences in terms of user's values, and provides analysis of user's values compared with those of counselor and peer group. (Author/BEF)

Describes the use of a penny game as a counseling technique to interrupt an unwanted cycle of behavior between spouses. The game can be explained in terms of both paradox and power and is useful with several marriage counseling techniques which teach more appropriate verbal behavior. (JAC)

Presents a rationale for counseling couples in groups and illustrates how people can be taught to pair up with counselors in order to help their spouses rather than hurt them. Specific steps in forming and facilitating the group are presented. (BEF)

Describes an experimental academic course on marriage and family therapy supervision. The course, an adapted version of an institute program, was taught in four stages, combined a seminar and a practicum, and culminated with live supervision of live supervision. (Author)

Compares behavioral with interactional couples group therapy for male alcoholics (N=36). Behavioral methods included rehearsal and weekly homework assignments, such as contracting, shared recreation, caring behaviors, communication skills, and negotiation. Both methods were effective, but preliminary results showed communication skills training…

The use of poetry in couples' groups is suggested to facilitate group process and break down resistance. Techniques include the use of reactions to a poem or song, the construction of poems, and the development of images. Poetry can help clients express feelings and examine communication patterns. (Author)

Describes therapist-structured marital separation for distressed couples during their critical period of deciding whether to divorce or remain married. Discusses characteristics of marital distress appropriate for structured marital separation, potential benefits, and design of the separation contract. Issues addressed include duration, frequency…

Discusses treatment issues in conjoint marital therapy, currently accepted as the preferred format for treating marital difficulties. Describes the use of linear or paradoxical letters to the nonattending spouse, providing research data regarding potential hazards of one-spouse therapy. Sample letters are included. (JAC)

Suggests conjoint reading aloud as an initial assignment in behavioral marital therapy. The spouses are directed to read a book on marital conflict and communication five times during the week following the initial interview. Conjoint reading addresses the experientially salient problems of verbal conflict. (Author/JAC)

Examined the effects of a structured choice-awareness, marriage enrichment program on participants' marital satisfaction and self-concept. Meaningful trends in the predicted direction of increased marital satisfaction and increased self-concept were noted for the experimental group. (Author)

The techniques of initiating and terminating therapeutic encounters have been disproportionately represented in the literature of strategic therapy. Using the patient's own report, the middle phase of therapy for severe marital difficulty is illustrated. Central to the final outcome was a paradoxical instruction. (Author)

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)

Addresses clinical and methodological issues in conducting the Marital Systems Study, a research project evaluating the efficacy of systems-oriented conjoint treatment with couples in which one spouse is abusing alcohol. These include standardizing and monitoring the intervention and developing an interactional perspective on the alcohol-related…