Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Commons^™

The Hold Me Tight Program For Couples Becoming Parents: A Mixed Methods Study, Debbie Wang

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

ABSTRACT

Attachment theory has made substantial contributions to the understanding of close relationships. The purpose of this study was to inquire whether an attachment-informed psychoeducational program is a feasible and effective intervention for couples expecting their first child. The overarching question was: Is an attachment-informed relationship enhancement program, such as Hold Me Tight^® (HMT), helpful to couples in strengthening their relationship and increasing their confidence in becoming first-time parents? The research question was addressed using a mixed-methods approach.

In the first phase, the Hold Me Tight^® program developed by Dr. Sue Johnson was modified for use with couples …

Client Satisfaction And Goal Achievement: From A Client's View At Cambridge Interfaith Family Counselling Centre, Dawn Diane Yarker

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Qualitative interviews were conducted with eleven clients, former and active, at CIFCC (Cambridge Interfaith Family Counseling Centre) to understand how client satisfaction and goal achievement in therapy were related. Content analysis of the interviews revealed that satisfaction with the counsellor, especially rapport building, is the greatest contributory to client satisfaction. This observation is discussed for counselling practice.

Humour As A Narrative Of Difference In Responding To Crisis Events In Marital Relationships, George Paul Stemp

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Two concepts which have emerged out of Narrative and Solution Focused Therapies are the ideas of "externalizing the problem through the re-storying of events" and "discovering and building upon the story of difference" to create lasting change. By placing himself within the narrative tradition and drawing upon these two therapeutic concepts, the author seeks to show that humorous stories are important narratives of difference which function to build intimacy within the marital relationship. The author begins with a Literature Review of works dealing with Humour and Psychology, Family Systems and Theology. He then examines 10 methodological challenges related to the …

Examining The Problem Of Power In Divorce Mediation: A Naturalistic Inquiry, Shelley Lynne Hermer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

How problematic is power imbalance in divorce mediation? Research in the last fifteen years has drawn attention to this issue, resulting in criticisms levelled at mediation from women’s groups, lawyers and others. Using six in-depth interviews with Ontario divorce mediators, this study examined power imbalance and its management. Three main themes emerged from the findings related to power: (1) the ‘emotional readiness’ of the couple, (2) the effects of the legal system, in particular, the relationships with lawyers, and, (3) physical intimidation and financial intimidation. Techniques employed by the mediators were similar across the interviews. These findings led to a …

A Study Of Biblical Families From The Perspective Of Family Systems Therapy, Gunar John Kravalis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study proposes that family systems therapy can prove useful in understanding Biblical families and thus add to our understanding of the Bible. Employing family systems therapy is appropriate because the Biblical narrative contains a comprehensive treatment of the human family. The Bible deals with family overall, many specific families as in the Jacob cycle, and ends with a vision of the family of God that exists already in the kingdom of heaven. Family systems theory is often useful to the pastor in understanding his/her own family, and the larger extended family of their church congregation. Thus, with new freshness …

The Role Of Attachment, Affect And Integrative Complexity In Couple Discussions, Fiona Jill Currie

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of the present investigation was to explore the possible associations between marital affect and cognitive complexity of discourse within an attachment context. Attachment theorists (e.g., Bowlby, 1982) have proposed that bonds formed between infants and their parents are internalized as working models of self and others and continue to influence the infant in relationships even into adulthood. In particular, possible longitudinal influences of variations in early attachment experiences may be seen in the discussions of couples about relationship issues. It was hypothesized that childhood attachment relationships with parents would be associated with the level of cognitive complexity of …

Hearing Metaphor: A Study Of Clients' Use Of Language In A Family Therapy Situation, Christopher Allen Whynot

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Metaphor is defined as a central function of language by which different realms of experience are conjoined and which operates at the nexus of internal and social processes. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used in an exploratory study of metaphor use by families in therapy. Significant differences were found in quantity of metaphor use along gender and generational axes. Content analysis also identified some suggestive differences with respect to issues of agency and imagery along lines of gender and parenting status. Categories nominated from the identified metaphors are also suggestive of the differential dilemmas faced by the clients. The study …

Multi-Family Group Treatment Of Multi-Problem Families: Preliminary Study, Judith S. Duckman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

No abstract provided.