After receiving training in Relationship Enhancement (RE) therapy, five marital therapists treated half their couples with RE and half by their own preferred non-RE method. After 10 weeks, participants (N=24) in both treatment conditions were posttested. Results showed participants receiving RE therapy made more gains on all measures used. (BH)

In response to feedback from Marriage and Family Therapy practitioners regarding the Outcome Research Chart (1997), this article presents a revised summary of movement in ratings between the original chart and 1995. During that ten-year period, additional evidence was found for the effectiveness of ten family therapy approaches. (Author/MKA)

Unlike perceptions toward professional counseling, public opinions do not typically associate marriage and family counseling or therapy with treatments of mental disorders. The current survey of college students in this sample confirmed that most would not recommend, specifically, marriage and family therapists (MFTs) for mental health…

Reanalyzed data from four previous studies (N=148) to examine the effectiveness of behavioral marital therapy (BMT). Results showed that slightly more than half the couples improved; about one-third actually became nondistressed. Deterioration was rare. (JAC)

Briefly reviews Farley's Type T theory of personality and then considers a range of issues in marital therapy from the perspective of Type T. Suggests that Type T theory may be relevant in dealing with infidelity, sexual problems, love, marital abuse, child rearing, drug and alcohol use, money, division of household labor, recreation, and…

Examines couples' communication through Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) and Traditional Behavioral Couple Therapy (TBCT). Results show that IBCT couples expressed more nonblaming descriptions of problems and more soft emotions than TBCT couples during late stages of therapy. IBCT couples increased their nonblaming description of…

Reports on the sexual functioning and interaction of 58 nonclinical heterosexual couples as measured by the Sexual Interaction System Scale (SISS). On all five SISS factors, the nonclinical sample scored significantly better than persons in therapy for sexual dysfunction; they also reported satisfactory relationship adjustment and high levels of…

Traditionally, training in couples counseling has not received equal status as other counseling modalities. Recently, there is renewed interest in specific training for couples counseling as more emphasis is placed on the stability of couple relationships as an important factor for helping families and children function in a society of frequent…

This study examined the extent to which emotional expression, communication flow, financial management and work involvement predict marital adjustment among married persons in Delta State, Nigeria. One question was raised and one hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. 2561 married persons were selected through the use of purposive sampling…

Adolescents who use the Internet regularly (the "e-teen") present a new set of challenges for marriage and family therapists. This article introduces marriage and family therapists to (a) the basic technological concepts and unique psychological characteristics of the Internet important in understanding and addressing adolescent online sexual…

The present study examined the effect of a 10-session couple communication program developed by the researcher on passive conflict tendencies among married couples. The research was carried out with 28 married couples, 14 participants in the control group, and 14 participants in the experimental group. The design of the research was an…

Thirty faculty in randomly selected Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) programs representing four geographical regions of the United States were asked to respond to a survey that included seven brief vignettes depicting gatekeeping and remediation challenges supervisors may face when working with…

Follow-up data across 2 years were obtained on 130 of 134 couples who were originally part of a randomized clinical trial comparing traditional versus integrative behavioral couple therapy (TBCT vs. IBCT; A. Christensen et al., 2004). Both treatments produced similar levels of clinically significant improvement at 2 years posttreatment (69% of…

Presents several strategic techniques for unblocking marital therapy when an impasse has been reached. For each technique, the goals and applicability of the intervention are presented, as well as potential problems and modifications. All of these techniques employ the acceptance and amplification of the status quo. (Author/JAC)

Discusses those couples in which each has reached a plateau in individual therapy and is referred for concurrent marital therapy to break the impasse. States that projective identification is the major defense used by these couples. Suggests a time-limited, issue-focused approach lasting two-six months. (Author/BH)