Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Commons^™

A Question Of Neutrality: Divorce Mediation Literature, The Role Of The Mediator, And Perspectives On Bias, Cory Michael Mathews

Dissertations and Theses

Research on mediation processes have addressed the role of the mediator, but often obliquely. In divorce mediation, the literature has sketched various approaches to the role, which diverge from each other in some significant ways. What is lacking is an integrated picture as to how these approaches to the field differ on key questions in the practice of divorce mediation.

This thesis is a preliminary attempt at such an integrated sketch, focusing on the question of whether or not the mediator is truly neutral in the process. Two major schools of thought of emerge from the literature, here referred to …

A Peculiar Logic Of Pro-Abortion Advocacy, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article identifies a weakness in pro-abortion advocacy and how this weakness can be resolved to support said advocacy.

Integrative Model For Couples Counseling, Annie Johnson

Graduate Research Papers

The ability to form strong interpersonal bonds with a romantic partner is one of the key qualities that defines humanity. With the awareness of the prevalence of marital difficulties and the emotional hardships that marital dissolution can cause, it is important to focus mental health attention on the positive effects of and necessity of an integrative model of couples therapy.

Marital and family conflict differs from one couple and.family to another. An integrative model for couples therapy draws on various theoretical positions, bringing together what works into a coherent system. Integrative therapy requires the therapist to enter the couple's world …

Divorce : A Guide For Counselors Assisting Children Of Divorce, Roxann R. Scheffert

Graduate Research Papers

Clinicians must be aware of the presenting problems of children of divorce and effective techniques and interventions when working with this targeted population. The purpose of this paper was to provide various interventions and practical guidelines when working with children of divorce.

Spousal Violence Levels Among Substance-Abusing Couples After Behavioral Couples Therapy Versus Individual-Based Treatment, Shannon O'Neill Arehart

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Domestic violence and substance abuse are two of the most prevalent and detrimental social ills plaguing American society today. Additionally, domestic violence and substance abuse are inter-related, and are often found within the same family or relationship. Understanding the relationship between these two problems is essential, especially in the context of therapy or treatment.

Previous studies have shown that behavioral couples therapy (BCT), a treatment for substance abuse problems in which couples participate in conjoint therapy sessions, can be effective in reducing the levels of spousal violence in alcoholic couples (O'Farrell & Murphy, 1995). Additionally, BCT has been effective in …

Construction And Testing Of A Marital/Couple Therapy Satisfaction Measure, Jesse Bingham

Open Access Theses

Therapy is inundated with self-report instruments/measures for clients (Corcoran & Fischer, 1987)(Touliatos, Perlmutter, & Straus, 1989); most of them focused for individual therapy. Many of these instruments are used for assessment purposes, while some others are related to outcome (Fredman & Sherman, 1987) (Corcoran & Fischer, 1987). One neglected area is that of instruments devised to measure satisfaction with specific content areas oftherapy. Another neglected area is an instrument designed specifically for marital/couple therapy. This research devised and tested a client self-report satisfaction measure specifically for couples in therapy. The items of the Marital Therapy Satisfaction Measure (MTSM) were derived …

Using The Levels Of Family Involvement Model With Religious Professionals, Dale R. Hawley, Carla M. Dahl

Faculty Publications

Serving as a religious professional is a complex task with a wide variety of demands and responsibilities. This variety contributes to a professional identity that requires the fulfillment of a number of roles. The Levels of Family Involvement (LFI) model (W. J. Doherty, 1995) offers a structure for helping clergy ascertain which roles may be most beneficial to a family in a given set of circumstances, as well as which roles are beyond their training and mission. The LFI is offered as a guideline for helping clergy select modes of intervention and identify areas for personal and professional development. Case …

Behavioral Couples Therapy For Female Substance-Abusing Patients: Effects On Relationship Adjustment And Drug-Using Behavior, Jamie J. Winters

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The effectiveness of Behavioral Couples Therapy (BCT) in the treatment of substance-abusing males has been demonstrated (Fals-Stewart, Birchler, 8 O'Farrell, 1996). However, research on the effectiveness of BCT in substance-abusing females has remained unexamined. It was hypothesized that BCT would improve posttreatment results of substance abuse treatment, both in terms of drug use and relationship satisfaction.

Married or cohabitating female substance-abusing patients (N=60) who were entering an outpatient treatment program were randomly assigned to one of two equally intensive treatment conditions. One treatment package (IBT) consisted of individual based therapy only; the other (BCT) consisted of individual based therapy and …

Relational Counseling, Janice E. Drury

Graduate Research Papers

The author of this paper explores the relational approach to counseling and its potential benefit to clients. The relational approach, in comparison to the more traditional approach to counseling, can give the counselor an alternative framework in which to explore and understand human development and apply counseling methods. Relational theory and its application to women is specifically addressed in this paper, as this approach to counseling may better assist women to speak and be heard in a pattern that makes sense to them. The author also identifies the need for research that expands current realms of thinking in mental health …

Review Of Social Work With Children And Their Families: Pragmatic Foundations. Christopher G. Petr. Reviewed By Dorinda N. Noble, Louisiana State University., Dorinda N. Noble

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Petr, Christopher G. (1998). Social Work with Children and their Families: Pragmatic Foundations. New York: Oxford University Press.

Marital Decision Making Scale: Psychometric Properties, Kathy Szynklewski Babel

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The psychometric properties of a revised version of the Marital Decision Making Scale (MDMS) were evaluated in this investigation. Sixty-eight couples served as participants. Distressed couples (n=34) were recruited from a community-based outpatient mental health clinic where they were seeking conjoint therapy for relationship problems; demographically matched nondistressed couples (n=34) were recruited from the community through a local survey research firm. The MDMS showed high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, interjudge agreement, and convergent and discriminant validity. A second independent sample of 60 couples (30 distressed couples and 30 nondistressed couples) was also recruited to cross-validate the results found with the …

Family-Of-Origin Distress And Intimacy In Later-Life Couples, Paul James Birch

Theses and Dissertations

Married couples aged 55-98 were surveyed regarding their perceptions of family-of-origin distress, their affective communication and problem solving communication skills, and their emotional intimacy. Two 2-way ANOVAs were performed with husbands' (model 1) and wives' (model 2) emotional intimacy scores as dependent measures and family-of-origin distress scores as the independent measures. Then both models were re-analyzed with affective communication and problem solving communication entered as co-variates. Results suggested that for both husbands and wives, emotional intimacy was affected by family-of-origin distress. Additionally, intimacy was affected by the distress in their spouses' family-of-origin in both models. Post-hoc analyses suggested that as …

Social Support In Marriage: Translating Research Into Practical Applications For Clinicians, Kieran T. Sullivan, Lauri A. Pasch, Kathleen A. Eldridge, Thomas N. Bradbury

Psychology

How spouses support one another may be important in understanding and preventing marital distress, but has received relatively little attention. Instead, the behavioral model of marriage and corresponding treatment protocols have focused on the importance of good conflict management skills in preventing and treating marital distress. This paper outlines recent research indicating that couples social support skills predict marital outcome two years later, above and beyond conflict management skills. These results indicate that successful prevention and treatment programs may need to incorporate support skills training as well as conflict management training. Practical implications of this research are outlined, and specific …

Obstetric Variables And Maternal Attitudes As Risk Factors For Postpartum Depression, Teresa B. Stire

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Depression is a significant mental health concern and has been studied scientifically for more than 100 years (Logsdon, McBride, & Birkimer, 1994). However, until the past decade, little attention had been paid to the phenomenon of postpartum depression. Postpartum depression refers to depressive symptoms and impairment in women's ability to function that persists beyond the first week postpartum (Steiner, 1990). Research conducted in the past decade has indicated that approximately 10% to 15% of postnatal women suffer from postpartum depression (Beck, Reynolds, & Rutowski, 1992; Beck, 1996). Typical onset of postpartum depression seems to be between 3 to 6 weeks …

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 …

Childhood Sexual Abuse: Long Versus Short Term Effects, Joyce Skinner

Graduate Research Papers

Research over the past decade indicates that a wide range of psychological and interpersonal problems are more prevalent among those who have been sexually abused than among individuals with no such experiences. This paper summarizes what is currently known about these potential impacts of child sexual abuse. The various problems and symptoms described in the literature on child sexual abuse are reviewed in a series of broad categories including post-traumatic stress, emotional pain, avoidance, an impaired self, and interpersonal difficulties. Research has determined that the extent to which a given individual manifests abuse-related distress is a function of an undetermined …

Parental Divorce And Lds Young Adult Attitudes Toward Marriage And Family Life, Sarah D. Finney

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of parental divorce on the attitudes of young adult members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) toward marriage and family life. A sample of 180 students from three universities completed self-report questionnaires measuring various attitudes toward aspects of marriage and family life. The results indicated that parental divorce alone was not a significant predictor (p.≤.05) of young adults' attitudes toward marriage and family life. The one difference found was that young adults' coming from divorced families-of-origin were less attracted to the idea of commitment and sacrifice involved in a marriage …

The Forgotten Grievers- Loss And Grief As Experienced By Young Adults In The Higher Educational Setting, Leona A. Garchow

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Spirituality In A Pastoral Counseling Context Dc By Joya D'Cruz., Joya D'Cruz

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Biography Of A Scale: Contextual Factors That Influence The Measurement Of Family Functioning, Ludwig Geismar

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The subject of instrument relevance is addressed by examining issues that have arisen in the use of a single scale over a forty year period. The issues revolve around the impact of varying social conditions, changing ethos, differential respondent receptiveness, and evolving research technology. Extended use of an instrument, it is argued, yields information that transcends the conventional techniques for testing instrument adequacy. The lack of opportunities in social work for accessing information on extended use of measurement tools is due, among other factors, to a preoccupation with working on subjects that are new and original and to a lack …

Ackerman Lecture, Suzanne Iasenza

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

The First Annual Dr. John Patten Memorial Lecture was held November 14 at the Hunter College of Social Work. CLAGS agreed to cosponsor the lecture, developed to honor the life and work of Dr. John Patten, faculty member of the Ackerman Institute for Family Therapy, Medical Director of the Institute's AIDS Project, and co-founder and co-director f the Institute's Gay and Lesbian Family Study Project. Dr. Patten was also co-founder and senior editor of In The Family Magazine, a family therapy-oriented magazine for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and their relations. He died of AIDS on October 4, 1995.

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 …

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 …

Lds Counselor Ratings Of Problems Occurring Among Lds Premarital And Remarital Couples, Travis R. Adams

Theses and Dissertations

A fundamental purpose of this study was to provide marriage preparation providers with counselors perceptions of potential marital problem areas. A structured questionnaire was sent to LDS counselors, defined as members of the Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists (AMCAP). These LDS counselors rated 29 problem areas that LDS couples, (members members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), might encounter in a first marriage or remarriage. Results (N=231) were analyzed in an attempt to determine the most frequent, most damaging and most difficult problems to deal with in LDS first marriages and remarriages.

Findings suggest that "communication", …

A Discerning Heart: The Core Of Psycho-Spiritual Healing, Dudley Mendonca

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Kinetic Family Drawing As A Measure Of Minuchin's Structural Family Concepts Among Hispanic American Families With Substance-Abusing And Nonsubstance-Abusing Adolescents, José Osorio-Braña

Dissertations

Problem. There is a need for validation of new cultural-sensitive tests for assessing the Hispanic population in the United States that will take into account their cultural competence in the psychological evaluation practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the suitability of the Kinetic Family Drawings as a measure of Minuchin's Structural Family Theory among Hispanic American families with substance-abusing and nonsubstance-abusing adolescents.

Method. The Kinetic Family Drawing (KFD), the Structural Family Interaction Scale-Revised (SFIS-R), and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES II) were administered to 141 families, 74 with an adolescent with substance-abusing problems and 67 …

A Dialogue Between Banyankole-Bakiga Peoples' Traditional Pre- And Marital Counseling Since 1870s And The Western Cognitive Behavior And Object Relations Therapies: A Reciprocal Challenge And Insight?, Cecilia Y. Nibyobyonka

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Crisis Of Infertility: Effects Of Length Of Treatment On Emotional And Marital Adjustment, Christie L. Markestad

Graduate Theses

Twenty infertile couples participated in the present study to investigate whether infertile couples receiving medical treatment experience changes in their emotional, marital and sexual adjustment as a result of the length of time they have been in treatment. The couples were divided into three groups based on how long they had been seeking medical attention for infertility. The instruments administered were: SCL-90-R (Symptom Checklist), Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) and Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS). It was predicted couples who were in the initial stages of treatment would experience increased levels of emotional, marital and sexual distress, however those levels would …

The Relationship Between Family Structure And Removal Rates, Kathrene L. Dumas

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

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 …