Handbook Of Couples Therapy | Page 8

distinct therapeutic approaches to work-
ing with them are appropriate. We have used McGoldrick’s life cycle stages
( loosely construed) to guide us in our choices. Accordingly, Section I begins
with couples at the premarital stage (Chapter 2). Gordon, Temple, and
Adams describe PAIR S, a premarital counseling curriculum, extensively de- signed to include a multiplicit y of interventions to assist couples as they
enter a committed relationship. In Chapter 3, Nichols thoroughly explores
the f irst years of commit ment. He includes a discussion of the nat ure of mar-
riage, cohabitation, and commit ment; an overview of the tasks of the family
cycle; and issues related to psychotherapy with couples in the early stages of
the life cycle. Lower (Chapter 4) considers the diff icult life transition to par-
enthood and the adjust ments that confront couples with young children. In
Chapter 5, Mas and Alexander explore the four essential feat ures of treat-
ment based on clinical, research, and theoretical literature as applied to fam- ilies with adolescents. Highlighting the multiplicit y of differences that such
families may bring into the therapy room, these authors fo cus on cult ural di-
versit y issues. Completing the part on life cycle stages, Peake and Steep
(Chapter 6) examine novel ways to intervene with older couples capitalizing
on their lived experience and using popular f ilms and other resources as ad-
juncts to psychotherapy. Section II of the book focuses on different theoretical approaches to work-
ing with couples. Silverstein (Chapter 7) considers the application of Bowen
family systems theory to work with couples and provides a supportive femi-
nist critique of the theory. In Chapter 8, Patterson argues that common con-
cept ualizations of cognitive-behavioral approaches to couples therapy do not
always provide an adequate integration of these two traditions. Focusing on
the separate foundations of behavioral approaches on the one hand, and cog-
nitive theories on the other, Patterson provides an understanding of the
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Setting the Stage for Working with Couples3
melding of these two traditions into cognitive-behavioral couples therapy.
Scharff and de Varela (Chapter 9) describe how object relations therapy
would be applied to couples. Shifting from more traditional approaches of
working with couples to post modern thinking, Rosen and Lang (Chapter
10) introduce key aspects of doing narrative therapy with couples. In the
f irst of several integrative approaches to working with couples, Bradley
and Johnson (Chapter 11) present emotionally-focused therapy, an inte-
gration of collaborative client-cente red, gestalt, systems approaches, con-
structivist thinking, and understandings derived from attachment theory
and the empirical literat ure. Cheung (Chapter 12) proposes the integration
of strategic family therapy and solution-focused approaches to working
with couples. In Chapter 13, Pitta describes integrative healing couples
therapy that uses psychodynamic, behavioral, communication, and sys-
temic theories in understanding the couple’s functioning. Concluding this
part, Nutt (Chapter 14) describes feminist and context ual approaches to
working with couples.
Section III approaches couples’ interventions from the perspective of
common presentations in therapy. T hus, Watson and McDaniel (Chapter
15) describe the work with couples who are confronting medical concerns.
The interface of the biological and the emotional provide the framework for
their work in medical settings. In Chapter 16, Harway and Faulk consider
how a history of sexual abuse in one member of the couple may affect the
overall couple’s functioning and may lead to diff icult therapeutic concerns.
A common concern in couples therapy is the existence of physical violence.
Holt zworth-Munroe, Clements, and Farris (Chapter 17) discuss the implica-
tions of intervening with these t ypes of couples. Addiction is another diff i-
cult issue that couples bring with them into therapy. Stanton (Chapter 18)
reviews key elements of couples therapy for the treat ment of addictive be-
haviors. Inf idelit y is said to affect a large number of couples and p resents
particular challenges. In Chapter 19, Lusterman explores issues related to
working with couples who have been touched by inf idelit y and proposes an
effective model for intervention. Psychotherapists are often uncomfortable
with exploring spirit ual issues in therapy. Yet, spirit ual and religious differ-
ences, like other forms of cult ural difference, contribute to some couples’
dissatisfaction with their relationship. Serlin (Chapter 20) considers how to
interweave spirit ual concerns in the course of psychotherapy. While couples
comprised of two same-sex partners share many of the same issues as het-
erosexual partners, Alonzo (Chapter 21) describes some unique issues for
gay or lesbian couples. Kaslow (Chapter 22) examines the impact of socio-
economic factors on couples’ functioning and describes some approaches to
working with money issues in therapy.
Not all couples presenting for psychotherapy are there to improve the
couple’s bond. Some couples initiate therapy to provide a smoother transi-
tion to divorce, while other couples initiate therapy in the hopes of sav-
ing their relationship but ultimately decide instead to focus on marital
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4SETTING THESTAGE FORWORKING WITHCOUPLES
dissolution. Rice (Chapter 23) considers special issues in working with di-
vorcing couples. Finally, while many of the chapters interweave empirical information
with clinical information, in Chapter 24, we consider what the r esearch