Couples Therapy First Session

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  couples therapy first session: Couples Counseling Marina Iandoli Williams Lmhc, Marina Williams, 2012-05-14 A session by session guide book for mental health practitioners on how to conduct evidence-based couples counseling. The book guides the therapist step by step through twelve sessions, and covers everything from the very first client phone call all the way through termination.
  couples therapy first session: Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy: A Therapist's Guide to Creating Acceptance and Change, Second Edition Andrew Christensen, Brian D. Doss, Neil S. Jacobson, 2020-09-15 The definitive therapist manual for Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT)—one of the most empirically supported approaches to couple therapy. Andrew Christensen, codeveloper (along with the late Neil Jacobson) of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy, and Brian Doss provide an essential manual for their evidence-based practice. The authors offer guidance on formulation, assessment, and feedback of couples’ distress from an IBCT perspective. They also detail techniques to achieve acceptance and deliberate change. In this updated edition of the work, readers learn about innovations to the IBCT approach in the 20+ years since the publication of the original edition—including refinements of core therapeutic techniques. Additionally, this edition provides new guidance on working with diverse couples, complex clinical issues, and integrating technology into a course of treatment.
  couples therapy first session: In Quest of the Mythical Mate Ellyn Bader, Peter Pearson, 2013-05-13 In Quest of the Mythical Mate presents a valuable and fertile developmental model for diagnosing and treating couples that is flexible enough to incorporate a wide variety of intervention strategies, yet purposeful enough to give a clear sense of direction to couples in distress. As such, this volume provides a powerful therapeutic approach for all professionals who treat couples.
  couples therapy first session: The Art of the First Session: Making Psychotherapy Count From the Start Robert Taibbi, 2016-02-22 Making Psychotherapy Count from the Start The average client today only comes to therapy five to eight times, and many only come once, so it is increasingly important, therefore, for therapists to achieve first-session success. Therapeutic skills and sales and marketing savvy are equally important to this task. In the first sixty minutes, clinicians must build trust, communicate what they have to offer, and ensure that the client feels different when they walk out than they did walking in. Short, practical, and applicable to all therapeutic modalities, this book walks readers through all the first-session essentials, including preparation for the first session, action-steps for each stage of the session, techniques for changing the emotional climate, and “closing the deal,” to make sure that clients come back for more. Packed with case examples, vignettes, tools, and techniques, The Art of the First Session prepares clinicians with critical skills to cut through performance anxiety, feel and convey confidence with clients, and hit the ground running in therapy with new clients.
  couples therapy first session: Couple Counselling Martin Payne, 2010-04-14 Couple Counselling outlines the essential principles and practices of couple counselling. Demystifying this form of therapy, the author provides a step-by-step guide from the first meeting through to subsequent sessions. The book includes a wealth of supporting features including case examples, student exercises, points for reflection and memory-jog pages to use in practice. As well as chapters illustrating counselling for problems frequently experienced by couples, such as sexual difficulties, infidelity, violence and abuse, key content includes: cultural differences in couples workvarieties of committed relationshipsresponses to specific difficultiesethical issues that arise as a result of working with two peoplegender differences in relation to the counsellor s own sexuality and/or gender the value of training courses and supervisionpersons narratives as a basis for changeThis book comprises a sound basis for one-to-one practitioners wishing to expand their expertise and practice of therapy into working with couples, and for students training in this mode of counselling.
  couples therapy first session: Techniques for the Couple Therapist Gerald R. Weeks, Stephen T. Fife, Colleen M. Peterson, 2016-03-22 Techniques for the Couple Therapist features many of the most prominent psychotherapists today, presenting their most effective couple therapy interventions. This book provides clinicians with a user-friendly quick reference with an array of techniques that can be quickly read and immediately used in session. The book includes over 50 chapters by experts in the field on the fundamental principles and techniques for effective couple therapy. Many of the techniques focus on common couple therapy processes such as enactments, communication, and reframing. Others focus on specific presenting problems, such as trauma, sexual issues, infidelity, intimate partner violence, and high conflict. Students, beginning therapists, and seasoned clinicians will find this pragmatic resource invaluable in their work with couples.
  couples therapy first session: The Heart of Couple Therapy Ellen F. Wachtel, 2016-10-05 Grounded in a deep understanding of what makes intimate relationships succeed, this book provides concrete guidelines for addressing the complexities of real-world clinical practice with couples. Leading couple therapist Ellen Wachtel describes the principles of therapeutic interventions that motivate couples to alter entrenched patterns, build on strengths, and navigate the “legacy” issues that each person brings to the relationship. She illuminates the often unrecognized choices that therapists face throughout the session and deftly explicates their implications. The epilogue by Paul Wachtel situates the author's pragmatic approach in the broader context of contemporary psychotherapy theory and research.
  couples therapy first session: Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy Jay Lebow, Anthony Chambers, Douglas C. Breunlin, 2019-10-08 This authoritative reference assembles prominent international experts from psychology, social work, and counseling to summarize the current state of couple and family therapy knowledge in a clear A-Z format. Its sweeping range of entries covers major concepts, theories, models, approaches, intervention strategies, and prominent contributors associated with couple and family therapy. The Encyclopedia provides family and couple context for treating varied problems and disorders, understanding special client populations, and approaching emerging issues in the field, consolidating this wide array of knowledge into a useful resource for clinicians and therapists across clinical settings, theoretical orientations, and specialties. A sampling of topics included in the Encyclopedia: Acceptance versus behavior change in couple and family therapy Collaborative and dialogic therapy with couples and families Integrative treatment for infidelity Live supervision in couple and family therapy Postmodern approaches in the use of genograms Split alliance in couple and family therapy Transgender couples and families The first comprehensive reference work of its kind, the Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy incorporates seven decades of innovative developments in the fields of couple and family therapy into one convenient resource. It is a definitive reference for therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors, whether couple and family therapy is their main field or one of many modalities used in practice.
  couples therapy first session: How to Counsel a Couple in 6 Sessions or Less H. Norman Wright, 2002-08-30 How to Counsel a Couple in 6 Sessions or Less makes it easier to counsel couples over a brief period of time, but also addresses major marital issues of communication, family issues, decision making and more. This highly practical resource for pastors - or anyne in ministry - can be used with The Marriage Checkup Questionnaire or as a stand alone tool for quickly diagnosing problems and referring couples to a professional, as necessary.
  couples therapy first session: 10 Principles for Doing Effective Couples Therapy (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) Julie Schwartz Gottman, John M. Gottman, 2015-10-26 From the country’s leading couple therapist duo, a practical guide to what makes it all work. In 10 Principles for Doing Effective Couples Therapy, two of the world’s leading couple researchers and therapists give readers an inside tour of what goes on inside the consulting rooms of their practice. They have been doing couples work for decades and still find it challenging and full of learning experiences. This book distills the knowledge they've gained over their years of practice into ten principles at the core of good couples work. Each principle is illustrated with a clinically compiled case plus personal side-notes and storytelling. Topics addressed include: • You know that you need to “treat the relationship,” but how are you supposed to get at something as elusive as “a relationship”? • How do you empathize with both clients if they have opposite points of view? Later on, if they end up separating does that mean you’ve failed? Are you only successful if you keep couples together? • Compared to an individual client, a relationship is an entirely different animal. What should you do first? What should you look for? What questions should you ask? If clients give different answers, who should you believe? • What are you supposed to do with all the emotional and personal history that your clients stir up in you? • How can you make your work research-based? No one who works with couples will want to be without the insight, guidance, and strategies offered in this book.
  couples therapy first session: The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work John Gottman, PhD, Nan Silver, 2015-05-05 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Over a million copies sold! “An eminently practical guide to an emotionally intelligent—and long-lasting—marriage.”—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work has revolutionized the way we understand, repair, and strengthen marriages. John Gottman’s unprecedented study of couples over a period of years has allowed him to observe the habits that can make—and break—a marriage. Here is the culmination of that work: the seven principles that guide couples on a path toward a harmonious and long-lasting relationship. Straightforward yet profound, these principles teach partners new approaches for resolving conflicts, creating new common ground, and achieving greater levels of intimacy. Gottman offers strategies and resources to help couples collaborate more effectively to resolve any problem, whether dealing with issues related to sex, money, religion, work, family, or anything else. Packed with new exercises and the latest research out of the esteemed Gottman Institute, this revised edition of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the definitive guide for anyone who wants their relationship to attain its highest potential.
  couples therapy first session: Behavioral Couples Therapy for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Timothy J. O'Farrell, William Fals-Stewart, 2012-03-12 This eminently practical guide presents an empirically supported approach for treating people with substance abuse problems and their spouses or domestic partners. Behavioral couples therapy (BCT) explicitly focuses on both substance use and relationship issues, and is readily compatible with 12-step approaches. In a convenient large-size format, the book provides all the materials needed to introduce BCT; implement a recovery contract to support abstinence; work with clients to increase positive activities, improve communication, and reduce relapse risks; and deal with special treatment challenges. Appendices include a session-by-session treatment manual and 70 reproducible checklists, forms, and client education posters.
  couples therapy first session: Projective Identification and Psychotherapeutic Technique Thomas H. Ogden, 1982 An examination of projective identification and its clinical uses from a Kleinian perspective. The author puts forward the hypothesis that identification is the patient's way of mastering significant trauma.
  couples therapy first session: Solution Building in Couples Therapy Elliott Connie, MA, LPC, 2012-09-14 This brief volume presents the basic premises of solution building, liberally enriched with examples. This is a remarkable book, the first of its kind, radical in its message, written about couples but also suitable for all manner of referrals.--Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries ìElliott Connie has written a remarkable book. Read it and you will be taken on a journey. If you are new to the world of solution focused brief therapy, beware! This book could capture your heartÖAs Elliott says from the very beginning, solution focused brief therapy is simple, so simple it is really hard to learn. And from this book, if you set out to do so, you could teach yourself how to become a competent solution focused brief therapist. It is all here, laid out clearly, packed with examples from the real world of therapy, repeated and repeated like onion skins, each repetition releasing its own flavour, a variation on a theme, a new understanding of something already known.î Chris Iveson, MA BRIEF London, UK Working with couples presents psychotherapists and counselors with a unique set of challenges, such that many therapists prefer not to work with couples or attempt to avoid it entirely. In the first book written about solution focused therapy (SFT) with couples, author Elliott Connie describes how his use of SFT made working with couples a pleasure rather than a burden. The solution focused approach is one that facilitates cooperation between partners in the creation of an agreed-upon future, rather than merely focusing on the problems that have come to define the relationship. Beginning with a clear explanation of the assumptions and tenets required for the practice of SFT, this book presents a step-by-step breakdown of exactly how to conduct solution building sessions with couples. Each chapter focuses on a different part of the therapeutic process and includes sample dialogues, techniques, and vignettes drawn from the authorís own extensive practice. Readers will feel as though they themselves are going through the therapeutic process with the couples and observing the impact of each step of the process. Numerous exercises and common solution focused questions help readers integrate this new material into their repertoire for immediate use. Key Features: Provides a unique view of couples therapy in action using the solution focused approach Includes actual questions to ask clients, sample dialogues, and sample homework assignments Features examples drawn from actual cases, illustrating techniques used in practice with real couples Presents scales to measure progress and supporting research for the application of solution-focused therapy to couples counseling
  couples therapy first session: Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy David E. Scharff, Jill Savege Scharff, 2018-05-01 In this time of vulnerable marriages and partnerships, many couples seek help for their relationships. Psychoanalytic couple therapy is a growing application of psychoanalysis for which training is not usually offered in most psychoanalytic and analytic psychotherapy programs. This book is both an advanced text for therapists and a primer for new students of couple psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Its twenty-eight chapters cover the major ideas underlying the application of psychoanalysis to couple therapy, many clinical illustrations of cases and problems in various dimensions of the work. The international group of authors comes from the International Psychotherapy Institute based in Washington, DC, and the Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships (TCCR) in London. The result is a richly international perspective that nonetheless has theoretical and clinical coherence because of the shared vision of the authors.
  couples therapy first session: Single Session Therapy Moshe Talmon, 1990-08-16 How to use limited therapeutic time most efficiently Research shows that many clients seeking therapeutic help attendfor one session only--no matter what their therapist's orientationor approach. Moshe Talmon demonstrates how therapists can turn thissingle encounter into a positive therapeutic experience. Based on a study of hundreds of single-session cases, this bookoffers a realistic, practical approach to using a single session toprompt substantial changes in patients' lives. The author describeshow to make the most of patients' innate ability to healthemselves--presenting insights into bolstering the patient'sexisting strengths, restoring autonomy and confidence, and offeringsolutions that the patient can implement immediately.
  couples therapy first session: Counseling One Another Paul Tautges, 2016-02-01 This paradigm-shifting book helps believers understand the process of being transformed by God's grace and truth, and challenges them to be a part of the process of discipleship in the lives of their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Counseling One Another biblically presents and defends every believer's responsibility to work toward God's goal of conforming us to the image of His Son-a goal reached through the targeted form of intensive discipleship most often referred to as counseling. All Christians will find Counseling One Another useful as they make progress in the life of sanctification and as they discuss issues with their friends, children, spouses, and fellow believers, providing them with a biblical framework for life and one-another ministry in the body of Christ.
  couples therapy first session: Hope After Betrayal Meg Wilson , 2018-07-31 Meg is a lantern guiding women through the twists and turns along this pain-filled path. --Lynn Marie Cherry, speaker and author of Keep Walking: 40 Days to Hope and Freedom After Betrayal Meg Wilson watched her world fall apart when her husband confessed to years of sexual addiction. She has intimate knowledge of the devastation that follows--and she has come through the other side. In her groundbreaking Hope After Betrayal, Meg provides reassuring counsel, compassionate insight, and wise direction. By sharing her story, talking to other women who've been in a similar situation, and turning to Scripture, Wilson has helped countless readers through the steps to recovery--and shows how you can follow that same path out of the darkness. This newly revised and expanded edition includes new lessons Meg has learned over the last decade. A compelling final chapter by Meg's husband sheds further light on the difficult road to healing from sexual addiction, and a thoughtful new appendix addresses the effect sexual addiction has on children in the home. Hope After Betrayal is a strong and sure lifeline that thousands of women will reach for in a drowning moment. Meg offers careful, clear direction and encouragement in each chapter while unveiling the truth about sexual addiction...This valuable tool should be required reading for every wife and every mother of sons. --Robin Jones Gunn, best-selling author of the Sisterchicks Series
  couples therapy first session: The SAGE Encyclopedia of Marriage, Family, and Couples Counseling Jon Carlson, Shannon B. Dermer, 2016-09-15 The SAGE Encyclopedia of Marriage, Family and Couples Counseling is a new, all-encompassing, landmark work for researchers seeking to broaden their knowledge of this vast and diffuse field. Marriage and family counseling programs are established at institutions worldwide, yet there is no current work focused specifically on family therapy. While other works have discussed various methodologies, cases, niche aspects of the field and some broader views of counseling in general, this authoritative Encyclopedia provides readers with a fully comprehensive and accessible reference to aid in understanding the full scope and diversity of theories, approaches, and techniques and how they address various life events within the unique dynamics of families, couples, and related interpersonal relationships. Key topics include: Assessment Communication Coping Diversity Interventions and Techniques Life Events/Transitions Sexuality Work/Life Issues, and more Key features include: More than 500 signed articles written by key figures in the field span four comprehensive volumes Front matter includes a Reader’s Guide that groups related entries thematically Back matter includes a history of the development of the field, a Resource Guide to key associations, websites, and journals, a selected Bibliography of classic publications, and a detailed Index All entries conclude with Further Readings and Cross References to related entries to aid the reader in their research journey
  couples therapy first session: The First Session in Brief Therapy Simon H. Budman, Michael F. Hoyt, Steven Friedman, 1992-08-07 In all models of therapy, the initial interview is a significant component: It sets the tone, structure, direction, and foundation of treatment. In brief therapy, the opening moves are even more important because there is less time later to correct errors or change direction. This volume provides practitioners with an up-close view of exactly what expert brief therapists do at the beginning of treatment and why they do it. Each author describes his or her particular orientation, presents annotated transcripts of actual initial sessions, and responds to pointed questions from the editors about their cases. Following an introduction by the editors, the first section of the book covers initial sessions in therapies for individuals. These include the rational-emotive approach, a one-session intervention, an interpersonal psychodynamic model, neurolinguistic programming, and the I-D-E (interpersonal-developmental-existential) approach. Beginning cognitive-behavioral therapy with depressed or drug abusing adolescents is covered, and a directive approach strongly influenced by the work of Milton Erickson is presented. The next section addresses methods and strategies for working with couples and families. Chapters on marital therapy cover an integrative approach that combines an intra- and interpersonal focus in marital therapy, a cognitive-behavioral approach that is based on principles of social learning and social exchange theory, emotionally focused therapy, and an approach that utilizes reflective conversation. A solution-oriented model, the possibility paradigm, for helping families amplify their strengths is delineated, as is a strategic MRI-style model for working with an individual family member, and a structural approach for creating familial change. An ideal companion to Budman's THEORY AND PRACTICE OF BRIEF THERAPY, this illuminating and unique casebook is essential reading for all clinicians who need to learn more about time-effective models. Offering a comparative view of a variety of models, it is an ideal text for undergraduate and graduate students.
  couples therapy first session: How We Love, Expanded Edition Milan Yerkovich, Kay Yerkovich, 2009-01-20 Did you know the last fight you had with your spouse began long before you even met? Are you tired of falling into frustrating relational patterns in your marriage? Do you and your spouse fight about the same things again and again? Relationship experts Milan and Kay Yerkovich explain why the ways you and your spouse relate to each other go back to before you even met. Drawing on the powerful tool of attachment theory, Milan and Kay explore how your childhood created an “intimacy imprint” that affects your marriage today. Their stories and practical ideas help you: * identify your personal love style * understand how your early life impacts you and your spouse * break free from painful patterns that keep you stuck * find healing for the source of conflict, not just the symptoms * create the close, nourishing relationship you dream about Revised throughout with all-new material and additional visual diagrams, this expanded edition of How We Love will bring vibrant life to your marriage. Are you ready for a new journey of love? Note: The revised and expanded How We Love Workbook is available separately.
  couples therapy first session: The Five Love Languages Gary Chapman, 2009-12-17 Marriage should be based on love, right? But does it seem as though you and your spouse are speaking two different languages? #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman guides couples in identifying, understanding, and speaking their spouse's primary love language-quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch. By learning the five love languages, you and your spouse will discover your unique love languages and learn practical steps in truly loving each other. Chapters are categorized by love language for easy reference, and each one ends with simple steps to express a specific language to your spouse and guide your marriage in the right direction. A newly designed love languages assessment will help you understand and strengthen your relationship. You can build a lasting, loving marriage together. Gary Chapman hosts a nationally syndicated daily radio program called A Love Language Minute that can be heard on more than 150 radio stations as well as the weekly syndicated program Building Relationships with Gary Chapman, which can both be heard on fivelovelanguages.com. The Five Love Languages is a consistent New York Times bestseller - with over 5 million copies sold and translated into 38 languages. This book is a sales phenomenon, with each year outselling the prior for 16 years running!
  couples therapy first session: Reconcilable Differences Andrew Christensen, Neil S. Jacobson, 1999-10-06 Every couple has arguments, but what happens when recurring battles begin to feel like full-scale war? Do you retreat in hurt and angry silence, hoping that a spouse who just doesn't get it will eventually see things your way? Spend the time between skirmishes gathering evidence that you're right? Demand some immediate changes--or else? Whether due to innate personality traits or emotional vulnerabilities, there are some aspects of our behavior that are difficult to alter. But these differences do not have to get in the way of healthy, happy, and long-lasting romance. This practical guide offers new solutions for couples frustrated by continual attempts to make each other change. Aided by thought-provoking exercises and lots of real-life examples, readers will learn why they keep having the same fights again and again; how to keep small incompatibilities from causing big problems; and how true acceptance can restore health to their relationships.
  couples therapy first session: A Roadmap for Couple Therapy Arthur C. Nielsen, 2016-06-17 A Roadmap for Couple Therapy offers a comprehensive, flexible, and user-friendly template for conducting couple therapy. Grounded in an in-depth review of the clinical and research literature, and drawing on the author’s 40-plus years of experience, it describes the three main approaches to conceptualizing couple distress and treatment—systemic, psychodynamic, and behavioral—and shows how they can be integrated into a model that draws on the best of each. Unlike multi-authored texts in which each chapter presents a distinct brand of couple therapy, this book simultaneously engages multiple viewpoints and synthesizes them into a coherent model. Covering fundamentals and advanced techniques, it speaks to both beginning therapists and experienced clinicians. Therapists will find A Roadmap for Couple Therapy an invaluable resource as they help distressed couples repair and revitalize their relationships.
  couples therapy first session: Rekindling Desire Barry McCarthy, Emily McCarthy, 2013-12-17 For over a decade Rekindling Desire has helped to restore and restructure sexuality in thousands of lives. This expanded edition continues the exploration of inhibited sexual desire and no-sex relationships by the author, who brings decades of knowledge and the expertise that comes from having treated almost 3,000 couples for sexual problems. Contained within are suggested strategies and exercises that help develop communication and sexual skills, as well as interesting case studies that open the doors to couples’ sexual frustrations. The shame, embarrassment, and hesitancy that individuals feel with themselves, and the resentment and blame they can feel towards their sexual partners, are explored and put into context. Whether you are married, cohabitating, or dating, or if you are 25, 45, or 75, reading this book will help renew your sexual desire and put you on the path towards healthy, pleasure-oriented sexuality.
  couples therapy first session: Integrative Systemic Therapy William M. Pinsof, Douglas C. Breunlin, William P. Russell, Jay Lebow, Cheryl Rampage, Anthony L. Chambers, 2018 Providing a comprehensive framework for individual, couple, and family therapy, this resource offers a set of templates that enable therapists to navigate the course of therapy, as well as a treasure trove of case examples to illustrate how therapists can use the IST perspective to treat a wide variety of challenging problems.
  couples therapy first session: Therapeutic Alliances with Families Valentín Escudero, Myrna L. Friedlander, 2017-09-04 This practical breakthrough introduces a robust framework for family and couples therapy specifically designed for working with difficult, entrenched, and court-mandated situations. Using an original model (the System for Observing Family Therapy Alliances, or SOFTA) suitable to therapists across theoretical lines, the authors detail special challenges, empirically-supported strategies, and alliance-building interventions organized around common types of ongoing couple and family conflicts. Copious case examples illustrate how therapists can empower family members to discover their agency, find resources to address tough challenges, and especially repair their damaged relationships. These guidelines also show how to work effectively within multiple relationships in a family without compromising therapist focus, client individuality, or client safety. Included in the coverage: Using the therapeutic alliance to empower couples and families Couples’ cross-complaints Engaging reluctant adolescents...and their parents Parenting in isolation, with or without a partner Child maltreatment: creating therapeutic alliances with survivors of relational trauma Disadvantaged, multi-stressed families: adrift in a sea of professional helpers Empowering through the alliance: a practical formulation Therapeutic Alliances with Families offers powerful new tools for social workers, mental health professionals, and practitioners working in couple and family therapy cases with reluctant clients and seeking specific, practical case examples and resources for alliance-related interventions.
  couples therapy first session: Frazzlebrain Gina Simmons Schneider, 2022-04-05 Find lasting relief from worry and stress with powerful techniques grounded in clinical experience and neuroscience. If you feel frazzled, you dwell in good company. Racing between the demands of work, health, family, and friends, many people report feelings of worry, irritability, and increasing stress. While we often cannot control stressful life events, we can learn to control our brain's response to those circumstances and reduce our suffering. Drawing from the latest research and more than 25 years of clinical experience, Dr. Gina Simmons Schneider explains the link between anxiety, anger, and stress and shares groundbreaking remedies from neuropsychology. These tools will strengthen your resilience and expand your capacity for happiness. In Frazzlebrain, you'll discover how to: Soften your response to stress Overcome toxic self-criticism Tame hostile and cynical thinking Activate your brain’s self-healing properties Create meaningful experiences Cultivate optimism and hopefulness Each chapter offers exercises, case examples, and self-improvement skills to help you achieve a calmer, happier, healthier lifestyle.
  couples therapy first session: Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy For Dummies Brent Bradley, James Furrow, 2013-07-15 A practical, down-to-earth guide to using the world's most successful approach to couple therapy One of the most successful therapeutic approaches to healing dysfunctional relationships, emotionally focused couple therapy provides clients with powerful insights into how and why they may be suppressing their emotions and teaches them practical ways to deal with those feelings more constructively for improved relationships. Unlike cognitive-behavioural therapy, which provides effective short-term coping skills, emotionally focused therapy often is prescribed as a second-stage treatment for couples with lingering emotional difficulties. Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy For Dummies introduces readers to this ground-breaking therapy, offering simple, proven strategies and tools for dealing with problems with bonding, attachment and emotions, the universal cornerstones of healthy relationships. An indispensable resource for readers who would like to manage their relationship problems independently through home study Delivers powerful techniques for dealing with unpleasant emotions, rather than repressing them and for responding constructively to complex relationship issues The perfect introduction to EFT basics for therapists considering expanding their practices to include emotionally focused therapy methods Packed with fascinating and instructive case studies and examples of EFT in action, from the authors' case files Provides valuable guidance on finding, selecting and working with the right EFT certified therapist
  couples therapy first session: Helping Couples on the Brink of Divorce William Joseph Doherty, Steven Michael Harris, 2017 This book presents a five-session protocol for distressed couples to learn about what has happened to their relationship and each person's contributions to the problems, with the goal of clarifying a direction for their marriage
  couples therapy first session: GARF Assessment Sourcebook Lynelle C. Yingling, William E. Miller, Alice L. McDonald, Susan T. Galewaler, 2013-10-28 First published in 1998. The GARF Assessment Sourcebook is a comprehensive guide to the Global Assessment of Relational Functioning (GARF) scale for family assessment. This comprehensive guide to the GARF is an essential tool for practicing professionals as well as students in training programs. It provides a thorough description of each element of the GARF, a comprehensive review of the GARF in relation to other marriage and family assessment tools, summaries of GARF research, and a comprehensive appendix of reproducible GARF-related forms. The GARF Assessment Sourcebook challenges marriage and family therapists to use, evaluate, and refine the GARF so that it may be included in the main portion of the next revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). As managed care becomes more pervasive and providers start giving more direction over treatment options, the GARF will become an important new tool in family mental health treatment to assist clinicians who are struggling to improve services and justify their work to the broader health-care community.
  couples therapy first session: First, Kill All the Marriage Counselors Laura Doyle, 2015 Every marriage has its rough patches. If you're wondering how to repair yours, step away from the therapist, put down the magazine, and pick up this book. If you want to build a long, happy, fulfilling marriage, why not learn from the women who've done it? Laura Doyle's marriage was in trouble. After five years, her husband had become distant. He seemed checked out of their relationship, preferring watching TV to making love. There were frequent fights that ended with tense silences and even threats of divorce. Marriage counseling actually made their problems worse. Each session seemed to reinforce the feeling that she and her husband were just too far apart. Desperate to avoid divorcing the man she loved, Laura tried something different. Rather than consulting with experts or professionals, she simply started talking to women who'd been happily married for more than fifteen years. What she discovered shocked her. Everything she had heard in marriage counseling was wrong. Laura realized that there are some basic truths to relationships that can help women maintain loving, intimate marriages, such as: The happiness of your relationship is up to you! Women hold the keys to a happy relationship 95 percent of the time (and will learn what to do the other 5 percent). What men want most of all is to be treated with respect. Treat your man with respect (even if you aren't feeling it), and he will treat you with love and care. Your man wants to know he has your trust. Give it to him, and he'll realize you are special, because you will be! After seeing her own marriage transform, Laura set out to help other women do the same. In this book, you'll learn Laura's Six Intimacy Skills, which have been used by over 50,000 women who have transformed their previously unhappy marriages into blissful unions. Stop reading articles about how important it is to schedule date night, and learn how to transform your relationship into one bursting with energy, intimacy, and love. First, Kill All the Marriage Counselors will put you on the path to having the marriage you want with the man you love--
  couples therapy first session: Loving with the Brain in Mind: Neurobiology and Couple Therapy (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) Mona DeKoven Fishbane, 2013-09-30 Facilitating change in couple therapy by understanding how the brain works to maintain—and break—old habits. Human brains and behavior are shaped by genetic predispositions and early experience. But we are not doomed by our genes or our past. Neuroscientific discoveries of the last decade have provided an optimistic and revolutionary view of adult brain function: People can change. This revelation about neuroplasticity offers hope to therapists and to couples seeking to improve their relationship. Loving With the Brain in Mind explores ways to help couples become proactive in revitalizing their relationship. It offers an in-depth understanding of the heartbreaking dynamics in unhappy couples and the healthy dynamics of couples who are flourishing. Sharing her extensive clinical experience and an integrative perspective informed by neuroscience and relationship science, Mona Fishbane gives us insight into the neurobiology underlying couples’ dances of reactivity. Readers will learn how partners become reactive and emotionally dysregulated with each other, and what is going on in their brains when they do. Clear and compelling discussions are included of the neurobiology of empathy and how empathy and selfregulation can be learned. Understanding neurobiology, explains Fishbane, can transform your clinical practice with couples and help you hone effective therapeutic interventions. This book aims to empower therapists— and the couples they treat—as they work to change interpersonal dynamics that drive them apart. Understanding how the brain works can inform the therapist’s theory of relationships, development, and change. And therapists can offer clients “neuroeducation” about their own reactivity and relationship distress and their potential for personal and relational growth. A gifted clinician and a particularly talented neuroscience writer, Dr. Fishbane presents complex material in an understandable and engaging manner. By anchoring her work in clinical cases, she never loses sight of the people behind the science.
  couples therapy first session: The 5 Love Languages Gary Chapman, 2014-12-11 Over 20 million copies sold! A perennial New York Times bestseller for over a decade! Falling in love is easy. Staying in love—that’s the challenge. How can you keep your relationship fresh and growing amid the demands, conflicts, and just plain boredom of everyday life? In the #1 New York Times international bestseller The 5 Love Languages®, you’ll discover the secret that has transformed millions of relationships worldwide. Whether your relationship is flourishing or failing, Dr. Gary Chapman’s proven approach to showing and receiving love will help you experience deeper and richer levels of intimacy with your partner—starting today. The 5 Love Languages® is as practical as it is insightful. Updated to reflect the complexities of relationships today, this new edition reveals intrinsic truths and applies relevant, actionable wisdom in ways that work. Includes the Love Language assessment so you can discover your love language and that of your loved one.
  couples therapy first session: Communication Miracles for Couples Jonathan Robinson, 2012-08-23 New York Times Bestseller! ─ Restore Your Relationship, Enhance Your Marriage Cultivate effective communication and a lasting relationship. Communication Miracles for Couples by psychotherapist, popular professional speaker, and bestselling author Jonathan Robinson has helped hundreds of thousands of couples repair their relationships and their marriages. Continuously in print since 1997, Communication Miracles for Couples has sold over 100,000 copies. Whether you are looking to enhance your relationship or want to resolve existing conflict, successful techniques taught by Jonathan Robinson can help you develop effective communication and a lasting relationship with a spouse or partner. Honeymoon gift, anniversary gift, or just a gift for him or her. Create lasting harmony and keep love alive with Jonathan Robinson's powerful and effective methods for relationship communication. He has reached over 250 million people around the world with his practical methods, and his work has been translated into 47 languages. Learn how to enhance your relationship by learning to communicate with less blame and more understanding. Find a deeper happiness in your relationship: • Feel totally loved • Never argue again • Have your partner really hear you • Repair broken trust If you have read books such as 4 Essential Keys to Effective Communication in Love, Life, Work─Anywhere; The 5 Love Languages; Mindful Relationship Habits; Communication in Marriage; or Couple Skills; you will love what Jonathan Robinson’s Communication Miracles for Couples does for your relationship.
  couples therapy first session: Handbook of Couples Therapy Michele Harway, 2005-01-21 The essential guide to successful couples therapy at every stage ofthe lifecycle A variety of therapeutic interventions can help couples developthe tools for a successful relationship. Yet many practitionersbegin seeing couples without extensive training in couples work. Tofill this gap in their therapeutic repertoires, noted couplestherapist Michele Harway brings together other well-known expertsin marriage and family therapy to offer the Handbook of CouplesTherapy, a comprehensive guide to the study and practice of couplestherapy. The book's chapters provide a variety of perspectives alongdevelopmental, theoretical, and situational lines. Recognizing theneed for clinically proven, evidence-based approaches, chaptersprovide detailed coverage of the most effective treatment modes.Couples at different stages of the lifecycle feature prominently inthe text, as do relevant special issues and treatment approachesfor each stage. Subjects covered include: Premarital counseling from the PAIRS perspective (an extensivecurriculum of interventions for premarital couples) The first years of marital commitment Couples with young children Couples with adolescents Therapy with older couples Same sex couples A variety of theoretical approaches, includingCognitive-Behavioral, Object Relational, Narrative, Integrative,and Feminist and Contextual Special issues and situations, including serious illness,physical aggression, addiction, infidelity, and religious/spiritualcommitments or conflicts Providing a diverse set of treatment approaches suited to workingwith a wide range of adult populations, the Handbook of CouplesTherapy is an essential resource for mental healthprofessionals working with couples.
  couples therapy first session: Mating in Captivity Esther Perel, 2007-10-30 One of the world’s most respected voices on erotic intelligence, Esther Perel offers a bold, provocative new take on intimacy and sex. Mating in Captivity invites us to explore the paradoxical union of domesticity and sexual desire, and explains what it takes to bring lust home. Drawing on more than twenty years of experience as a couples therapist, Perel examines the complexities of sustaining desire. Through case studies and lively discussion, Perel demonstrates how more exciting, playful, and even poetic sex is possible in long-term relationships. Wise, witty, and as revelatory as it is straightforward, Mating in Captivity is a sensational book that will transform the way you live and love.
  couples therapy first session: Conjoint Family Therapy Virginia Satir, 1978
  couples therapy first session: The Relationship Protocol Debra M Roberts, 2015-06-22 Are you having trouble communicating with an important person in your life? Are you looking for tools and techniques you can use today? The Relationship Protocol is the easy to use, step-by-step guide on how to communicate effectively in all of your important relationships - romantic, family, business and friendships. Learn how to deal with and resolve real-life conflicts. Navigate tough situations. Take control and defuse heated arguments. Bring up sensitive topics and recover from setbacks. Instill hope when lost, and rebuild trust. Read The Relationship Protocol today to make your relationships more enjoyable and less complicated. www.TheRelationshipProtocol.com
  couples therapy first session: Doing Couple Therapy, First Edition Robert Taibbi, 2012-08-22 Wise, compassionate, and highly practical, this engaging text covers the entire process of therapeutic work with couples, from opening sessions and assessment through skills building, core issues, and termination. Students and novice couple therapists learn effective strategies for intervening with couples of any age who are struggling with acute crises or longstanding conflicts and power struggles. Rich with sensitive, detailed case material, the book features numerous exercises that help readers identify and develop their own strengths as practitioners. Self-care strategies and tips for getting the most out of supervision are provided. Special topics include how to address couple issues with only one partner and couple therapy applications for chronic mental health problems.
Guide to Early EFT Sessions.steppingintoEFT
From the first session onward, an EFT therapist will include some structured enactments between partners.

Rethinking First Sessions - Couples Institute
Many therapists start with a new couple by inquiring about what brings them in or how they can be of help. This line of inquiry is necessary to understand their problems.

ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS - Relationship Institute
Below is a brief summary of the Gottman Method Couples Therapy assessment process and the levels of the Sound Relationship House (SRH) that are covered in the Feedback Session.

The Art of the First Session - GoodTherapy
What is your focus and how do you explain the process of your sessions? What will be the goals and tasks of the first 3 sessions? What do you need to know to complete your assessment? …

EFT Stages and Steps (for couples) - WINDOWS OF …
It’s at this early stage (as with many types of couple’s therapy) that the therapist starts to get an initial picture of the couple’s interaction patterns – both good and bad. The therapist goes over …

Three Techniques for the First Session of Couples Therapy
I have modified the prompt to ask couples about their Most Memorable Observation about their parents’relationship and any “conclusions” they may have adopted based on that.

First Session Goals
First and foremost, you want to hear from each partner separately what they see as the problem and what they specifically want to work on. The way you can establish this is by asking, …

AN EFT ROADMAP FOR COUPLES - Morgan Doolittle
Set goals for counseling; understand some of the ways your relationship history affects your relationship now. You and your therapist will track your interactions with your partner and …

# 1. preparing for and opening sessions Brubacher may 24
Preparing for a session and being intentional and focused from the moment of greeting a couple, contributes to the safety and the creation of change events in EFT sessions. In attempt to …

First Therapy Session Worksheet - Choosing Therapy
Attending your first therapy session can bring up a lot of thoughts and feelings. Take a moment after your first session to reflect on the experience, and to note any questions or concerns you …

Guide to Individual Sessions in EFT Couple …
Some of the following items have frequently been previously discussed in the couple sessions, but an individual may disclose and engage differently with his/her experience when the other …

NITIAL ESSION OLUTION-FOCUSED - Between Sessions
guiding questions to address a client’s presenting problem in the first session. Solution-Focused Therapy has a very specific format for asking questions that keep the client focused on the …

Nuts and Bolts of Initial Interview in Couples Therapy
couples therapy. Get a headline for their situation. NOT THE PROBLEM. Ask the caller what would be required of them. Not the partner to improve the situation or relationship. Tell them to …

Therapeutic Exercises for Couples - bewellnj.com
Communication Worksheet for Couples- Getting to Know My Partner Closely Objectives: To help individuals learn more about their partners. Instructions: Getting to know about your partner …

Session 1: Initial Meeting and Program Introduction
We also present ideas on how the eight-session model can be adapted for therapists taking an EFT or Gottman approach to couple therapy. An initial, conjoint session is recommended …

Core Skills Training in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy
To understand the basic aim: to help withdrawers engage with unformulated or disowned attachment emotions and fears, and express these emotions to partner.

Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1 Bridging the …
• Session 2—Individual Sessions • Session 3— The Therapeutic Contract: Discussing and Deciding about Goals. Summary of Strengths and Areas that Need Improvement.

OVERVIEW OF GOTTMAN METHOD COUPLES THERAPY
From this research, Drs. John and Julie Gottman have created a method of therapy that emphasizes a nuts-and-bolts approach to improving clients’ relationships. This method is …

9 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE YOU START COUPLES THERAPY
Aug 9, 2013 · When it comes to choosing a couples’ therapist, most people do their own research. You might not know where to start or what questions to ask and that’s why we created ‘9 …

Overview of Gottman Method Couples Therapy
In the first session we will talk about the history of your relationship, areas of concern, and goals for treatment. In the next session, I will meet with you individually to learn each of your …

Guide to Early EFT Sessions.steppingintoEFT
From the first session onward, an EFT therapist will include some structured enactments between partners.

Rethinking First Sessions - Couples Institute
Many therapists start with a new couple by inquiring about what brings them in or how they can be of help. This line of inquiry is necessary to understand their problems.

ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS - Relationship Institute
Below is a brief summary of the Gottman Method Couples Therapy assessment process and the levels of the Sound Relationship House (SRH) that are covered in the Feedback Session.

The Art of the First Session - GoodTherapy
What is your focus and how do you explain the process of your sessions? What will be the goals and tasks of the first 3 sessions? What do you need to know to complete your assessment? …

EFT Stages and Steps (for couples) - WINDOWS OF …
It’s at this early stage (as with many types of couple’s therapy) that the therapist starts to get an initial picture of the couple’s interaction patterns – both good and bad. The therapist goes over …

Three Techniques for the First Session of Couples Therapy
I have modified the prompt to ask couples about their Most Memorable Observation about their parents’relationship and any “conclusions” they may have adopted based on that.

First Session Goals
First and foremost, you want to hear from each partner separately what they see as the problem and what they specifically want to work on. The way you can establish this is by asking, …

AN EFT ROADMAP FOR COUPLES - Morgan Doolittle
Set goals for counseling; understand some of the ways your relationship history affects your relationship now. You and your therapist will track your interactions with your partner and …

# 1. preparing for and opening sessions Brubacher may 24
Preparing for a session and being intentional and focused from the moment of greeting a couple, contributes to the safety and the creation of change events in EFT sessions. In attempt to …

First Therapy Session Worksheet - Choosing Therapy
Attending your first therapy session can bring up a lot of thoughts and feelings. Take a moment after your first session to reflect on the experience, and to note any questions or concerns you …

Guide to Individual Sessions in EFT Couple …
Some of the following items have frequently been previously discussed in the couple sessions, but an individual may disclose and engage differently with his/her experience when the other …

NITIAL ESSION OLUTION-FOCUSED - Between Sessions
guiding questions to address a client’s presenting problem in the first session. Solution-Focused Therapy has a very specific format for asking questions that keep the client focused on the …

Nuts and Bolts of Initial Interview in Couples Therapy
couples therapy. Get a headline for their situation. NOT THE PROBLEM. Ask the caller what would be required of them. Not the partner to improve the situation or relationship. Tell them to …

Therapeutic Exercises for Couples - bewellnj.com
Communication Worksheet for Couples- Getting to Know My Partner Closely Objectives: To help individuals learn more about their partners. Instructions: Getting to know about your partner …

Session 1: Initial Meeting and Program Introduction
We also present ideas on how the eight-session model can be adapted for therapists taking an EFT or Gottman approach to couple therapy. An initial, conjoint session is recommended …

Core Skills Training in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy
To understand the basic aim: to help withdrawers engage with unformulated or disowned attachment emotions and fears, and express these emotions to partner.

Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1 Bridging the …
• Session 2—Individual Sessions • Session 3— The Therapeutic Contract: Discussing and Deciding about Goals. Summary of Strengths and Areas that Need Improvement.

OVERVIEW OF GOTTMAN METHOD COUPLES THERAPY
From this research, Drs. John and Julie Gottman have created a method of therapy that emphasizes a nuts-and-bolts approach to improving clients’ relationships. This method is …

9 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE YOU START COUPLES …
Aug 9, 2013 · When it comes to choosing a couples’ therapist, most people do their own research. You might not know where to start or what questions to ask and that’s why we created ‘9 …

Overview of Gottman Method Couples Therapy
In the first session we will talk about the history of your relationship, areas of concern, and goals for treatment. In the next session, I will meet with you individually to learn each of your …