Marriage and family therapy faculty members' balance of work and personal life.

A sense of imbalance is common among both professors and therapists, though few studies have been published examining the work and personal life balance of those who work in both professions simultaneously. Using in-depth telephone interviews, this study examined the work and personal life balance of 16 marriage and family therapy (MFT) faculty members. Results showed that six were satisfied with their balance, six were dissatisfied, and four were "middle of the road.

The experiences of parents of adolescents in family therapy: a qualitative investigation.

While understanding clients' experiences in family therapy is becoming increasingly important, we know very little about how the parents of adolescents in family therapy perceive and experience this process. The current study uses a multicase qualitative design and constructivist theoretical framework to describe the experiences of 15 parents of adolescents attending family therapy in private practices. Constant comparative analysis revealed four core categories that described parents' therapeutic experiences: (a) pretherapy presentation, (b) supportive therapeutic climate, (c) family therapy process, and (d) reflections on the therapy experience.

A national survey of family physicians: perspectives on collaboration with marriage and family therapists.

Recognizing the fit between family medicine and marriage and family therapy (MFT), members of both fields have made significant advances in collaborative health research and practice. To add to this work, we surveyed a nationwide random sample of 240 family physicians (FPs) and asked about their perspectives and experiences of collaboration with MFTs. We found that FPs frequently perceive a need for their patients to receive MFT-related care, but their referral to and collaboration with MFTs were limited.

Cybersex: the impact of a contemporary problem on the practices of marriage and family therapists.

The number of people accessing the Internet for sexual purposes (cybersex) has increased dramatically over the last 10 years. However, little research has been conducted to determine how frequently clients present for treatment with cybersex-related issues. One hundred sixty-four clinical members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy participated in the current study, which was conducted to identify the impacts of cybersex on MFTs' practices.

The relationship between coping and depression in men and women referred for in vitro fertilization.

This study examined coping with infertility and how coping is related to depression for men and women. Results showed that both men and women who engage in a disproportionate degree of escape/avoidance behavior and acceptance of responsibility for infertility were more vulnerable to symptoms of depression.

A qualitative investigation of Johnson's typology.

The couple typology described by Johnson and Ferraro (2000) provided the framework for this analysis of narrative accounts of couples in violent heterosexual relationships. Participants were 15 bidirectionally violent couples who were interviewed separately for about 1 hour each. Modified analytic induction guided the analyses.

Treating intimate partner violence within intact couple relationships: outcomes of multi-couple versus individual couple therapy.

An experimental design was used to determine outcomes of a domestic violence-focused treatment program for couples that choose to stay together after mild-to-moderate violence has occurred. Forty-two couples were randomly assigned to either individual couple or multi-couple group treatment. Nine couples served as the comparison group.

Effectiveness of couples treatment for spouse abuse.

Despite its controversy, carefully conceptualized and delivered couples treatment appears to be at least as effective as traditional treatment for domestic violence, and preliminary data suggests that it does not place women at greater risk for injury. However, the body of research on which these conclusions rest is sparse. Only six experimental studies have been done, each using different eligibility criteria, outcome measures, and treatment approaches.

Negotiated time-out: a de-escalation tool for couples.

Many state domestic violence intervention standards mandate that treatment for offenders should be separate from any treatment offered to victims. In this article we advocate that in cases of low-level violence, when couples choose to remain together, certain aspects of treatment should be offered conjointly. Specifically, our feedback from victims and offenders suggests that one tool generally taught to offenders-time-out--is often ineffective and can be used abusively when partners are not taught the tool concurrently.

Examining congruence between partners' perceived infertility-related stress and its relationship to marital adjustment and depression in infertile couples.

Because studies examining the emotional impact of infertility-related stress generally focus on individuals, there has been little research examining how relationship and individual variables are linked. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of congruence (e.g.

Developing a manualized couples treatment for domestic violence: overcoming challenges.

This paper describes challenges faced in a four-year project to develop a manualized couples treatment program for domestic violence. The couples treatment program is an add-on to a male batterer program where the male partner has perpetrated mild-to-moderate violence, yet both partners want to remain together. The project involved the cooperation of a variety of community agencies and referrals from key domestic violence programs.