Explores the negative effects of divorce on children and suggests that a restructuring of marriage and divorce laws (which would prohibit divorce in marriages with dependent children) might be justified in addressing this injustice against children. (DB)

Examines the pathogenic perspective on divorce, pointing out its methodological and conceptual shortcomings. A conceptual model of the divorce experience based upon crisis theory is presented. Provides a framework for understanding short- and long-term reactions to divorce. (Author)

Presents a form of insight therapy based upon systems theory and suggests that this has much to offer in marital therapy. Categories of relationship problems with which a couples therapist must deal are described. (Author)

Presents updated information on recent changes in selected stages of the family life cycle and in social developments that have contributed to these changes. Closes with differing outlooks regarding marital stability in the United States. (Author)

Although some couples avoid divorce for children's benefit, divorce may actually be a better solution than an unhappy home. Children's potential for creating stress between spouses may sometimes make divorce more likely. Counseling may provide alternatives. (JAC)

The dual career couple is forced to make a series of choices and compromises that impact the realms of marriage and career. The dilemmas that confront dual career marriages can be overcome only by compromise, accommodation, and mutual understanding on the part of the individuals involved. A revamping of human resources and recruitment programs is…

Stages of adjustment for children and adolescents trying to cope with their parents' divorce are delineated, and the emotional processes involved with divorce itself are discussed. (LH)

Couples whose early wounds cause narcissistic and borderline defenses may benefit from treatment with a psychodynamically oriented couples therapist. This article presents a treatment method that helps partners become attuned to each other's underlying injuries and vulnerabilities. The goal is to rebuild damaged structures of the self and to…

A case study of Relationship Enhancement (RE) therapy with a couple, in which the woman was identified as having vaginismus, is presented including excerpts of transcripts from the therapy sessions. RE's effectiveness at improving communication skills and providing structure in which the couple could discuss the intimate issues affecting the…

Couples counseling is about both saving and optimally ending relationships. Some of the factors affecting the counselor's role in couples therapy are addressed in this paper. It opens with a listing of the objectives of counseling, such as the need to remain neutral. Some of the societal influences on divorce rate are discussed, along with…

Alcoholic women must receive treatment that considers psychological differences between men and women. The basic difference identified was the kinds of roles taken on by women compared to men's roles. Counselors must integrate women's individual experiences with experimental research to effectively help alcoholic women. (Author/JAC)

For mysterious reasons only a small proportion of couples with relationship problems seek counseling. This qualitative study included 36 women and 16 men in structured small group discussions. Questions concerned attitudes to relationship counseling. Both groups expressed denial of the problems in the relationship, the seriousness of these…

One of the most dramatic changes in the American culture in recent years is the emergence of a family unit experiencing stages of disruption and reorganization as a common pattern. The stereotypical middle-class, suburban family continues to exist, but other variations of families exist also, family units for which past guidelines and assumptions…

Rape is a crisis shared by the victim and her family. The family's reaction is influenced by cultural views such as viewing rape as sex rather than violence. Adaptive responses can be supported by open expression, education, and family, as well as individual counseling. (JAC)

This source-book on the one parent family contains two sections. The first section includes six papers dealing with motherless families, fatherless separated families, divorce and children, the crisis of widowhood in the family cycle, the unmarried mother who keeps her child, and single parent adoptions. Section II includes 750 annotations of…