Originally published in 1991, the theme for this title is the exploration of the components of lasting, long-term relationships. It begins with the first part of an interview between Sheldon Starr and Virginia Satir, made in 1985 and is followed by a comment on that interview by the Editor. Other chapters discuss the subject of falling in love and the notion of ‘being in love’ as distinguished from ‘a love relationship’. The authors, including some who have been married for many years themselves, look at the many aspects that make long-term relationships successful. The chapters range in essence from ‘What is love?’ to ‘How is love maintained?’. This title aims to share the information the authors have gained, about what makes coupling work, with society as a whole.

Discover pertinent information for assisting couples in achieving permanence in their relationships from the invaluable perspectives on love and love relationships found in Coupling . . . What Makes Permanence? This fascinating new volume features insightful reflections of prominent couples therapists on the subject of love and the components that make long-lasting couples relationships. Centered around a recognition of human beings'seemingly instinctual need for attachment, these perceptive chapters address a range of questions from "What is love?" to "How is love maintained?" Two main steps to permanence that will aid therapists are balancing adult needs with child needs in both partners and recognizing the pervasive, illusory factors that are the downfall of so many relationships. Profiles of couples who have stayed together for many years are examined and used as models for therapists to foster longevity in their clients'relationships. Important elements that contribute to permanence are advocated, such as the ability to give up illusions in the relationship, creating a web of trust to mitigate fears of loss, and achieving authentic and generative connection as opposed to the uneasy, frantic shifting for balance known as codependency. Practical advice on these and other fascinating topics make this an invaluable resource for therapists helping couples to attain the elusive goal of permanence in their relationships.

Help clients grow into loving commitment!Making and keeping commitments is more difficult today than ever. About half of all marriages end in divorce, and serial monogamy is not uncommon. Couples Connecting: Prerequisites of Intimacy identifies the cultural and personal attitudes that impede commitment and impair intimacy, and it gives you the therapeutic tools to work with clients who don't know how to build a lasting love.Couples Connecting examines why past theories of self-actualization are now failing. Because our culture emphasizes individualistic values, people do not learn how to create and share bonds with others. Therapists must become developmental partners for clients who need to overcome failures of maturation in order to have successful, loving relationships with their partner. This essential guide offers you practical techniques and case studies, as well the theoretical underpinnings to deal with this crisis of intimacy. Couples Connecting provides specific, insightful studies on overcoming obstacles to genuine commitment, including: identifying patterns of anger in distressed and nondistressed couples ways to help engaged couples overcome the fear of following negative family patterns using family systems theory and psychodynamics to understand developmental issues in marriage suggestions for clinical practice with couples who fear intimacy implications of ten essential factors in intimacyCouples Connecting will help you design and use techniques to promote personal growth and bridge gaps between clients to help couples achieve satisfying and intimate relationships.

You don't have to check your humanity at the office door!Drawing on the teachings of Virginia Satir, this humane volume is designed to help therapists bring their full selves into the therapeutic relationship. The Personhood of the Therapist examines what happens when a therapist consciously enters the process of healing in an I-Thou relationship with the client. The techniques outlined in this volume will help you develop a greater sense of openness about yourself and your feelings, enabling you to offer clients more effective services.The Personhood of the Therapist explores the myriad ways in which a therapist's emotional responses and life experiences can contribute to the client's healing. This approach is a dramatic departure from the traditional Freudian ideal of the aloof, unresponsive analyst, but the case studies in this volume will persuade you that it is powerfully effective. In addition to case studies, this thoughtful, compassionate book offers dialogues, personal reminiscences, techniques, and discussions of psychological theory. The Personhood of the Therapist offers new ideas and fresh perspectives on such life-changing issues as: self-disclosure and self-awareness for therapists ways to respect and foster the full sacredness of the client the different roles of the therapist important new views on transference and countertransferenceIt also contains deeply moving accounts of individual experiences, including: how an oncotherapist was affected by her own family's experience with cancer using Integrity Therapy to heal old wounds for a troubled couple, along with the comments of the two clients a therapist's own emotional journey through a troubled marriage and the strange disappearance of her sister The Personhood of the Therapist will help you employ your knowledge about life, not just theories, to offer better services to clients and help you appreciate how clients can enrich your life.

Use new knowledge of the LGBT culture to ably counsel same-sex couples! Relationship Therapy with Same-Sex Couples provides psychologists, therapists, social workers, and counselors with an overview of the array of treatment issues they may face when working with couples from the LGBT community. This book highlights the experiences of therapists who have encountered concerns particular to LGBT clients—especially those in intimate relationships. This intriguing resource covers clinical issues, sex therapy, special situations, and training issues for helping therapists successfully counsel same-sex couples. Relationship Therapy with Same-Sex Couples explores the therapist’s role in working through universal issues in couples therapy—such as communication problems, infidelity, and decision-making—with a focus on how therapy should differ for same-sex couples. This important guide also identifies which problems are unique to couples as an aspect of their sexual orientation, including gender role socialization and societal oppression. With this book, you will be able provide appropriate therapy without over- or under-attributing a couple’s problems to their LGBT status. This book shows how experienced therapists have developed methods for working with: gay and lesbian parents heterosexual spouses and ex-spouses couples in HIV serodiscordant relationships “lesbian bed death” couple and family dynamics supporting transgender and sexual reassignment issues and more! Relationship Therapy with Same-Sex Couples contains several features for you to utilize in your own practice, including the Sexual Orientation Matrix for Supervision (SOMS) to assist supervisors and trainers in preparing supervisees to work with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. The book also offers guidelines for heterosexual therapists who plan to work with same-sex couples and how to overcome any residual homophobia or heterosexual guilt. Lastly, this essential sourcebook reviews several articles, book chapters, books, and Web sites that are relevant to same-sex couples and the therapists who work with them.