Assessment in Couple Therapy

Lee Williams, PhD, is a professor of marital and family therapy at the University of San Diego, where he has taught since 1993. He is a licenced marriage and family therapist and clinical fellow at AAMFT (American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy).

"Lee Williams has provided a marvelous resource for couple therapists and couple therapists in training. Building on the foundation of a simple structure, the 7 C’s, Williams orients the reader to each of the most essential aspects of couple assessment. Strongly anchored in evidence-based methods and in a broad integrative view of couple assessment, this book provides a comprehensive yet highly coherent way of understanding couple relationships. This book should be a part of every course in couple therapy and a part of every couple therapist’s library." - Jay Lebow, PhD, ABPP, LMFT, Family Institute at Northwestern, Family Process Editor"Thorough assessment is a crucial part of effective therapy with couples. Lee Williams has done masterful work in providing a critically needed book on dyadic assessment. In this well-written and engaging book, Lee clearly describes the 7 C’s assessment approach, an evidence-informed and transtheoretical framework. Lee walks the novice clinician through each assessment component – assessment structure, content areas to explore, challenges with couples, and using assessment to inform interventions. This book is essential reading for all students in training as well as seasoned couple therapists." - Adrian Blow, PhD, Professor at Michigan State University

• 1. Introduction: Assessing Couples Using the 7 C’s2. Getting Started – Structuring Assessment3. Communication4. Conflict Resolution5. Culture6. Commitment7. Caring8. Assessing a Couple’s Sexual Relationship9. Contract10. Character11. Children: An Eighth C?12. Moving Beyond the Initial Assessment