Clinical Handbook of Marriage and Couples Intervention [Hardcover]

W. Kim Halford (Editor), Howard J. Markman (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471955191 | ISBN-13: 978-0471955191 | Publication Date: January 15, 1997 | Edition: 1

The majority of people, in cultures worldwide, seek fulfilment and happiness in marriage and couples relationships. Many mental health professionals now find they are increasingly consulted when such relationships encounter difficulties that threaten the wellbeing of the couples involved. The costs of such difficulties can be high, to society, to children and to other family members, in both emotional and economic terms. Psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, counsellors and social workers will find in this uniquely comprehensive handbook a critical review of knowledge in this wide field, as well as a guide to best practice in its many areas of intervention. The scope of the handbook includes an overview of healthy, normal marriage processes, the major influences on marital quality and stability, the interaction between individual adjustment, environmental events, and relationship satisfaction, and interventions designed to assist couples to enhance their relationship. The emphasis in the chapters which review research is on explicating the implications of current state-of-the-art knowledge for assessment and intervention with couples. Over half the book comprises detailed guidelines on how to conduct interventions for relationship problems. This includes work on different approaches to couples therapy, adapting couples therapy to the needs of couples in which one partner has significant individual psychopathology, working with just one partner, responding to crises initiated by extramarital affairs, mediating divorce, and working with families in which there are combined marital and parenting difficulties.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This handbook provides a comprehensive, analytic overview of research on marriage and marital interventions which is relevant to all clinicians working with psychological disorders, as well as those who specialize in couples problems. The unifying theme is the concept of healthy marriage, which promotes the individual well-being of the partners and any offspring, and provides protection against adverse effects of environmental stress. Each chapter contains key research and theoretical contributions; clinical implications and issues of application and intervention; and a set of clinical intervention issues on which the field can focus during the next decade.

From the Back Cover

The majority of people, in cultures worldwide, seek fulfilment and happiness in marriage and couples relationships. Many mental health professionals now find they are increasingly consulted when such relationships encounter difficulties that threaten the wellbeing of the couples involved. The costs of such difficulties can be high, to society, to children and to other family members, in both emotional and economic terms. Psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, counsellors and social workers will find in this uniquely comprehensive handbook a critical review of knowledge in this wide field, as well as a guide to best practice in its many areas of intervention. The scope of the handbook includes an overview of healthy, normal marriage processes, the major influences on marital quality and stability, the interaction between individual adjustment, environmental events, and relationship satisfaction, and interventions designed to assist couples to enhance their relationship. The emphasis in the chapters which review research is on explicating the implications of current state-of-the-art knowledge for assessment and intervention with couples. Over half the book comprises detailed guidelines on how to conduct interventions for relationship problems. This includes work on different approaches to couples therapy, adapting couples therapy to the needs of couples in which one partner has significant individual psychopathology, working with just one partner, responding to crises initiated by extramarital affairs, mediating divorce, and working with families in which there are combined marital and parenting difficulties.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 720 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471955191
• ISBN-13: 978-0471955191
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,851,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Major Contribution to the Literature about Marriage Therapy, May 3, 2000

By 

William C. Bailey "EQ Coach and Researcher" (Fayetteville, AR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Clinical Handbook of Marriage and Couples Intervention (Hardcover)

This very expensive book is a must for all students and practitioners of the art and science of marriage therapy. It is valuable because the contributors span the globe. The articles have a world perspective rather than a narrow American point of view. In addition, the theoretical views of the authors range from behavioralism to psychotherapy. The breath of the book is both a blessing and a curse. There is little consistancy in writing style. Some of the articles are very accessable while some are like wading through mud. Despite this, I highly recommend this book to those who are either graduate students or faculty in academic programs focused on marriage and family therapy.