When Marriages Fail: Systemic Family Therapy Interventions and Issues

by Lee; Robert E.

• ISBN13: 9780789028631
• ISBN10: 0789028638
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2006-10-06
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

When Marriages Fail: Systemic Family Therapy Interventions and Issues presents several leading experts in the field discussing the full spectrum of clinical interventions and family therapy for troubled and divorcing families. This comprehensive resource presents a broad overview of the literature that provides a foundation for the entire field, and then narrows its focus to clearly review clinical assessment models and the special issues that may be factors in conflicted families.Therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers discover groundbreaking policies protecting the well-being of children involved in divorce, plus practical, specific systemic treatment interventions that are illustrated with case studies. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

About the Editors	xi
Contributors	xiii
Foreword	xix
Gus Napier
Douglas H. Sprenkle
Preface: Tribute to William C. Nichols Jr., EdD	xxv
PART I: AN OVERVIEW	1	(54)
Treating Divorcing Families in Family Therapy: A Literature Review	3	(18)
Steve Livingston
Lee Bowen
Early Literature on the Stages of Divorce	4	(1)
The Introduction of Divorce Therapy and Systemic Treatment Models	5	(2)
Recognizing Children's Experiences in Divorce	7	(1)
Literature on the Legal and Technical Aspects of Divorce	8	(2)
Literature on Remarriage and Blended Families	10	(11)
Staying Together or Separating and Divorcing: Helping Couples Process Their Choices	21	(16)
Israel W. Charny
An Existential-Dialectical View of ``Success'' and ``Failure'' in Marriage and Marital Therapy	22	(3)
An Existential-Dialectical View of the Decision to Divorce	25	(6)
The Stages of Divorce	31	(1)
Encouraging Desirable Pain in the Treatment of Divorcing Couples	32	(1)
Author's Reflections	33	(4)
An Ecosystemic Look at the Rights of Children in Divorce	37	(18)
Robert E. Lee
The Ecosystemic Orientation	39	(2)
Rights of Children in Divorce	41	(3)
Complicating Factors Considered by Ecosystemic Level	44	(7)
Author's Reflections: What Does This Model Highlight for Us?	51	(4)
PART II: MODELS AND ISSUES	55	(102)
Systemic Dynamics and Interventions for Selected Marital Conflicts	57	(14)
Mary Anne Armour
Understanding Marital Conflicts from a Family Systems Perspective	58	(1)
Situations That Underlie Marital Conflicts	59	(7)
Three Clinical Stages of Marital Conflict	66	(1)
Reaching Therapeutic Solutions	67	(2)
Author's Reflections	69	(2)
Four Predivorce Marital Typologies That Aid Clinical Assessment	71	(14)
Derek Ball
William Hiebert
The Critical Issue	71	(1)
The Divorce Process	72	(1)
Four Typologies	73	(9)
Authors' Reflections	82	(3)
Disclosing Gay or Lesbian Orientation Within Marriage: A Systems Perspective	85	(16)
Jerry J. Bigner
The Gordian Knot of Sexual Orientation Disclosure in Marriage	86	(1)
The Disclosing Spouse	87	(3)
The Spouse to Whom Disclosure is Made	90	(1)
Children of Disclosing Individuals	91	(1)
Family System Reactions	92	(2)
Recovery	94	(1)
Therapeutic Implications	95	(3)
Author's Reflections	98	(3)
Issues of Separation and Divorce in Families Affected by Domestic Violence	101	(10)
Michele Harway
The Appropriateness of Systems Approaches in Domestic Violence Cases	102	(2)
Working with the Abuse Survivor in Therapy	104	(3)
Author's Reflections on the Posture of the Therapist	107	(4)
Children's Voices in the Midst of Parental Breakup: A Qualitative Study of Trauma in ``Ordinary'' Families	111	(18)
Wencke J. Seltzer
The Clinical Setting	112	(2)
Family Dynamics During Separation and Divorce: A Child's Feelings of Helplessness	114	(1)
The Application of Trauma Theory to Children's Experiences of Their Parents' Divorce	115	(4)
Findings of the Study: The Children's Voices	119	(7)
Author's Reflections on Helping Children Express Their Feelings in the Therapy Setting	126	(3)
The Influence of Divorce on Children: A Special Focus on Iceland	129	(12)
Toby Sigrun Herman
Divorce Statistics in Iceland	130	(1)
Influence of Divorce on Children and Youths	131	(1)
Reactions of Children, Vary with Age	132	(1)
Clinical Interventions	133	(1)
Mediation and Joint Custody	134	(3)
Author's Reflections	137	(4)
Postdivorce Relatedness Between Parents, Their Divorced Sons, and Their Grandchildren: A Pilot Study	141	(16)
Florence W. Kaslow
The Relationship of the Paternal Grandparents to the Divorced Family	142	(2)
Paternal Grandparents' Reactions to Son's Divorce and Possible Changes in Relationship to Children	144	(1)
Findings and Implications	145	(8)
Clinical Implications	153	(1)
Author's Reflections	153	(4)
PART III: SYSTEMIC FAMILY INTERVENTIONS	157	(144)
Family Therapy with a Lesbian ``Stepparent'' Couple Experiencing Partner Abuse: A Case Report	159	(22)
David A. Baptiste
Lesbian Domestic Violence and Partner Abuse: An Overview	160	(2)
Characteristics of Lesbian ``Stepfamilies''	162	(3)
Treating Partner Abuse in Lesbian ``Stepfamilies''	165	(13)
Author's Reflections	178	(3)
Protecting Children When Parents Are Divorcing: Clinical Issues Through Three Systemic Stages of Divorce	181	(14)
Sandra Volgy Everett
Protecting Children Through the Structural Decoupling Stage	182	(5)
Protecting Children Through the Network Coupling Stage	187	(4)
Protecting Children Through the Structural Recoupling Stage	191	(3)
Author's Reflections	194	(1)
Surprised by Divorce: Working with the Spouse for Whom the Rejection Was Unanticipated	195	(10)
Dorothy S. Becvar
Clinical Issues from a Systems Perspective	196	(2)
Selecting Possible Systemic Interventions and Strategies	198	(2)
Recognizing the Family System's Responses and Dynamics	200	(3)
Author's Reflections	203	(2)
Rebalancing the Postdivorce Family When the First Spouse Remarries: Systemic Family Interventions	205	(12)
Craig A. Everett
Discussion of the Clinical Issue from a Family Systems Perspective	206	(1)
Selecting Possible Systemic Interventions and Strategies	207	(4)
Recognizing the Family System's Responses and Dynamics	211	(2)
Author's Reflections	213	(4)
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in the Wake of Divorce	217	(12)
Frank M. Dattilio
Cognitive-Behavioral Approach to Divorcing Couples	219	(1)
Clinical Vignette	220	(3)
Case Example	223	(2)
Author's Reflections	225	(4)
Using Maps and Vision in Family Therapy with Remarriage	229	(18)
Noga Rubinstein-Nabarro Sara Ivanir
The Metaphor of Invisible Maps	231	(1)
Using Maps with Remarried Families	232	(1)
Working with Maps in Family Therapy	233	(4)
The Marital Vision in Remarriage	237	(6)
Authors' Reflections	243	(4)
Family Therapy for the Postdivorce Adjustment of Women Left by Their Husbands for Another Woman	247	(14)
Sandra M. Halperin
Description of the Clinical Pattern of Trauma	248	(3)
Clinical Issues and Treatment Strategies	251	(7)
Author's Reflections	258	(3)
The Systemic Treatment of Affairs: A Multicontextual Relational Approach	261	(16)
Kenneth V. Hardy
The Affair As a Relational Injury	262	(7)
The Multicontextual Relational Model	269	(1)
Treating Affairs and Healing Relational Injuries	269	(7)
Author's Reflections	276	(1)
The Futile Quest: Parental Loss and Serial Relationships	277	(8)
David Moultrup
Initial Treatment Concerns	278	(1)
Shaping the Ongoing Treatment	278	(2)
Therapeutic Artistry	280	(1)
The Lethal Dynamic of Toxic Grief	281	(1)
The Current Cast As a Reflection of the Inner Emptiness	281	(2)
Author's Reflections: Continuing the Journey	283	(2)
A Therapeutic Look at ``Gray Divorces''	285	(16)
Marcia E. Lasswell
Who Are These Divorcing Adults?	287	(5)
Contextual Problems of ``Gray Divorces''	292	(4)
Treatment Issues	296	(1)
Author's Reflections	297	(4)
Appendix: Summary of the Career and Publications of William C. Nichols	301	(10)
Index	311