Required Readings:

There is no required textbook for this course. However, a healthy set of readings is available and required for the course.

Course Description and Goals:

In this course, we will explore and critically evaluate major theories, concepts, and techniques in couples therapy. Through class discussions, assignments, role play situations, review of videotapes, and guest presentations, students will systematically explore the structural, functional, and developmental nature of couple systems. In addition, students will be exposed to a variety of case conceptualizations and treatment techniques.

Assignments

Students are expected to have read the assigned readings prior to attending class meetings, and to actively participate in class discussions and role plays. Final grades will be based on the following distribution of the course requirements: weekly reaction papers (15%), paper (20%), presentation (20%), class participation (15%), final exam (30%).

Weekly reaction papers: These papers are designed to insure that students have read and thought about the assigned articles. They should be brief (1-2 paragraphs per article, for a total of 1-2 pages per week), and incorporate your reaction to the article - what you liked about it and/or did not like or find helpful. This should not be a summary of the whole article, but it may include important points you would like to remember.

Paper: This paper is designed to help you become an expert in one orientation using the couple modality. This will provide for interesting discussions when we discuss conceptualizing specific case material, as each person will be responsible for choosing a different orientation (i.e., behavioral, structural, family of origin, self psychology). This paper should include both theory and application.

Presentation: This presentation will provide the opportunity for you to share your findings (from your paper). Each person will have 1 1/2 hours. You may get creative with this time by using videos, case material, role plays, etc.

Final examination: A final exam will be given to assess theoretical skills, conceptualization skills, and application of treatment techniques in couple therapy. You will be presented with a case, and write up how the treatment might procede using the integrative problem-centered therapy model. You may choose, as a class, whether this is take-home or in class.

Reading Assignments for each week:

WEEK 1:  Assessment - Overview of Couple Development & Integrative Model

Carter & McGoldrick - Overview

McGoldrick - Ethnicity and the family life cycle

Pinsof (1994) - An overview of integrative problem centered therapy

WEEK 2:  Assessment & Overview of Orientations

Chasin & Grunebaum - Synopsis of current concepts & practices

Feldman & Pinsof- Problem-maintenance in family systems

Catherall - Assessing the family system

Treadway - Case: Learning their dance: Changing some steps

WEEK 3:  Assessment & Therapy techniques

Karpel, Ch. 6 - First Interview

Feldman & Pinsof - Family system assessment schema

Moline - Clinicalizing the operations

Pinsof - Therapist operations

Huber - Ethical vignettes

WEEK 4:  Behavioral & Cognitive Approaches

Baucom & Epstein - Will the real cognitive-behavioral marital therapy ...

Caring Days Intervention

Pinsof (1995) - Ch 7 - Modifying the Problem Cycle I

Class Presenter - To be assigned

WEEK 5:  Experiential Approaches

Todd - Structural strategic marital therapy

Pinsof (1995) - Ch 8 - Modifying the Problem Cycle II

Class Presenter - To be assigned

WEEK 6:   Psychodynamic Approaches

Scarf, Part 1

Finkelstein - Toward an object-relations approach in psychoanalytic tx

Class Presenter - To be assigned
 

WEEK 7: Treatment & Effectiveness

Scarf - Part 2

Scarf (1987) - Sexual Cures

Bray & Jouriles - Treatment of marital conflict & prevention of divorce

WEEK 8: Treatment: Diversity Issues

Boyd-Franklin - Issues in the treatment of Black couples in family therapy

Brown - Therapy with same sex-couples

Rampage - Gendered aspects of marital therapy

WEEK 9: Treatment

Sager & Hunt - The Private Covenant

Sager et al. - The Marriage Contract

Case - To be assigned

WEEK 10: Treatment: Guest Presenter: Peter Reiner

Barnett- Narcissism and dependency in obsessional hysteric marriage

Lansky - Treatment of the narcissistically vulnerable marriage

November 21: Final Exam due
 
 

Barnett, J. (1971). Narcissism and dependency in the obsessional hysteric marriage. Family Process, 10, 75-83.

Baucom, D. and Epstein, N. (1991). Will the real cognitive-behavioral marital therapy please stand up? Journal of Family Psychology 4 (4), 394-401.

Brown, L. S. (1995). Therapy with same-sex couples: An introduction. In Jacobson & Gurman (Eds.), Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy, pp. 274-291.

Bray, J. H. & Jouriles, R. N. (1995). Treatment of marital conflict and prevention of divorce. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 21, 461-473.

Carter & McGoldrick, M. (1989). The Changing Family Life Cycle: A Framework for Family Therapy, Second Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Chapter 1: "Overview", 3-28.

Catherall, D. Assessing the Family System, Unpublished manuscript.

Chasin, R. & Grunebaum, H. (1980). A brief synopsis of current concepts and practices in family therapy. In Pearce, J. and Friedman. L. (Eds), Family Therapy: Combining Psychodynamic and Family Systems Approaches. New York: Grune and Straton, p. 1-16.

Feldman, L. B., & Pinsof, W. M. Family system assessment schema, Unpublished manuscript.

Feldman, L. B., & Pinsof, W. M. (1982). Problem Maintenance in family systems: An integrative model. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 8, 295-309.

Finkelstein, L. (1987). Toward an object-relations approach in psychoanalytic marital therapy. Journal of Marital and Family therapy, 13(3), 287-298.

Huber, C. H. (1994). Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in the Practice of Marriage and Family Therapy. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey.

Karpel, M. A. (1994). Conducting the initial couple session (Ch. 6, pp. 79-112). Evaluating Couples, W. W. Norton, New York.

Lansky, M. R. (1981). Treatment of the narcissistically vulnerable marriage. In L. Lansky (Ed.) Family Therapy and Major Psychopathology. Grune & Stratton: NY.

McGoldrick, M. (1989). "Ethnicity and the family life cycle". In Carter, B. and McGoldrick, M. The Changing Family Life Cycle: A Framework for Family Therapy, Second Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Moline, R. "Clinicalizing the Operations". Unpublished manuscript. Used with Permission.

Pinsof, W. M. (1995). Integrative Problem-Centered Therapy: A Synthesis of Family, Individual, and Biological Therapies, pp. 186-256.

Pinsof, W. M. (1994). An overview of integrative problem centered therapy: a synthesis of family and individual psychotherapies. Journal of Family Therapy, 16, 103-120.

Pinsof, W. "Therapist Operations". Unpublished manuscript. Used with Persmission.

Rampage, C. (1995). Gendered aspects of marital therapy. In Jacobson & Gurman (Eds.), Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy, pp. 261-273.

Sager, C. & Hunt, B. (1979). The private covenant. In Intimate Partners: Hidden patterns in love relationships. McGraw-Hill, New York.

Sager, C. Kaplan, H.S., Gundlach, R., Kremer, ., Lenz, R., Royce, J. (1971). The marriage contract. Family Process, 10, 311-326.

Scarf, M. (Nov, 1986). Intimate partners: Patterns in love and marriage, Part 1. Atlantic Monthly.

Scarf, M. (Dec, 1986). Intimate partners: Patterns in love and marriage, Part 2. Atlantic Monthly.

Scarf, M. (1987). Intimate Partners: Patterns in Love and Marriage. (Ch 15, Sexual Cures, 260-280), Random House, Inc., New York.

Todd, T. C. (1985). Structural-strategic marital therapy." In Jacobson, N. & Gurman, A. (Eds.) Clinical Handbook of Marital Therapy. New York: Gardner Press.

Treadway, D. C. (1985). Learning their dance: Changing some steps. In Gurman, A. S. (Ed.) Casebook of Marital Therapy, The Guilford Press, pp. 155-175.