Foundations for Couples' Therapy

Jennifer Fitzgerald, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in Brisbane, Australia, who works as a certified EFT couples’ therapist, supervisor and trainer. She is also a senior lecturer at the University of Queensland.

“Jennifer Fitzgerald has put together a very special book about couple therapy. Forty-five prominent sets of experts on couples and couple therapy each focus on a specific body of research which they apply to inform treatment suggestions for seven model cases. The result is a highly accessible view of the research about couples and couple therapy in a uniquely engaging format that covers almost all the important topics in the field. This is what a book that presents evidence based practice should be: Firmly rooted in scientific findings, yet highly engaging. I strongly recommend this book for every couple therapist and student of couple therapy.”—Jay Lebow, PhD, ABPP, clinical professor, The Family Institute at Northwestern, Northwestern University; editor, Family Process“A goldmine of research-based information on a wide range of approaches to therapy with distressed couples. Approaches discussed include attachment, communication, cognition, caregiving, conflict, emotion, forgiveness, and many more across 46 chapters written by scholars from around the world. To make the book even more relevant and helpful, the various approaches are illustrated by application to specific distressed couples and their issues.”—Patricia Noller, PhD, emeritus professor, School of Psychology, University of Queensland“Foundations for Couples’ Therapy offers brief, problem-focused chapters on topics of great interest to anyone working with couples. The book covers both basic relationship processes (attachment, cognitions, communication, and intimacy) along with common issues that lead couples to therapy (infidelity, parenting, and sexuality). With chapters from leaders in the field from a variety of backgrounds and orientations, this book offers a comprehensive perspective on how to conceptualize and intervene with couples. It’s a must-read for anyone seeking to expand and deepen their understanding of couples’ therapy.”—Brian D. Doss, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Miami, USA

• List of Tables and Figures List of Contributors Acknowledgements 1. Beyond Models and Interventions: What else do Couples’ Therapists Need to Know? Jennifer Fitzgerald 2. Romantic Love as an Attachment Process: Shaping Secure Bonds Lorrie L. Brubacher and Susan M. Johnson 3. Assessment of Relationship Quality Alice D. Boyes and Garth J.O. Fletcher 4. Caregiving in Couple Relationships Gery C. Karantzas 5.Cognitions (Beliefs and Attributions) in Couple Relationships Julie Fitness 6. Understanding Commitment and Partner-Serving Biases in Close Relationships Wind Goodfriend, Christopher R. Agnew, and Pamela Lassiter Cathey 7. Redefining Communication in Couple Relationships Teresa P. Nguyen, Hannah C.Williamson, and Thomas N. Bradbury 8. Understanding Couple Conflict from an Attachment Perspective Judith A. Feeney 9. Cultural Diversity in Couple Relationships Danika N. Hiew and Patrick W. L. Leung 10. Cybersex and Pornography Rory Reid and Rebecca Jorgensen 11. Death of a Child: Impact on the Parents’ Couple Relationship Ileana Ungureanu 12. Demand-Withdraw Patterns of Communication in Couple Relationships Kathleen Eldridge, Jason Cencirulo, and Emily Edwards 13. Emotion in Couples Catalina Woldarsky Meneses and Leslie S. Greenberg 14. The Impact of Family of Origin Experiences Dean M. Busby and Emilie Iliff 15. Fertility Problems and Pregnancy Loss Sarah R. Holley and Lauri A. Pasch 16. Forgiveness Jennifer Fitzgerald 17. Gambling Rowan Burckhardt and Alex Blaszczynski 18. Couples and Health Tamara Goldman Sher and Kim Halford 19. Hurt Feelings Anita L. Vangelisti and Madeleine Redlick 20. Close Relationships, Immune Function, and Health: Understanding the Clinical Importance of Distressed Relationships Lisa Jaremka 21. An Integrative Approach to Treating Infidelity in Couples Donald H. Baucom, Kimberly Z. Pentel, Kristina C. Gordon, and Douglas K. Snyder 22. The Interpersonal Process Model of Intimacy: Maintaining Intimacy through Self-Disclosure and Responsiveness Harry T. Reis 23. Coping with Jealousy Laura K. Guerrero 24. Life Transitions for Couples Richard B. Miller and Tiffany Midgat 25. Love and Self-expansion Bianca Acevedo, Xiaomeng Xu, Gary Lewandowski Jr., and Arthur Aron 26. Family Mediation for Divorce and Parental Separation Ani R. Poladian, Fernanda S. Rossi, Brittany N. Rudd, and Amy Holtzworth-Munroe 27. Mental Health Disorders in Couple Relationships Vickie Bhatia and Joanne Davila 28. The Impact of Military Service on Couple Relationships Michelle D. Sherman and Jessica Larsen 29. Neurophysiological Processes in Couple Relationships: Emotion, Attachment Bonds and the Brain Paul S. Greenman, Stephanie Wiebe, and Susan M. Johnson 30. Parenting in Couple Relationships Matthew R. Sanders and Louise J. Keown 31. Counseling Clients in Polyamorous Relationships Geri D. Weitzman 32. Couple Relationship Education Christopher. A. Pepping and W. Kim Halford 33. Working with Same-Sex Couples: Considerations for Self-Supervision Sheila Addison and Debra Coolhart 34. Self-regulation in Close Relationships Tila M. Pronk, Catrin Finkenauer, and Roeline G. Kuijer 35. Integrating Sexual Concepts and Interventions into Couple Therapy Barry McCarthy and Lana Wald Ross 36. Sexually Transmitted Infections Alemka Russell and Darren Russell 37. Shame in Couple Relationships Norman B. Epstein and Mariana K. Falconier 38. Couple Therapy and Spirituality James L. Furrow 39. Emotionally Focused Family Therapy for Stepfamilies: Building Security for Children in the face of Complexity and Change Gail Palmer 40. Couples Therapy in Treatment of Substance Use Disorders Keith Klostermann and Timothy O’Farrell 41. Emotionally Focused Therapy Supervision: The Four Chambers of the HEART Lisa Palmer Olsen, Joshua Madsen, George Faller, Marlene Best, and Benjamin Inouye 42. Developmental Trauma Heather MacIntosh 43. The Role of Trust and Commitment in Love Relationships John Gottman, Julie Gottman, and Michael McNulty 44. Intimate Partner Violence Kyle Horst, Sandra Stith, and Chelsea Spencer 45. Work, Stress, and Love Wendy A. Muller and Paula Brough 46. Research for the Real World: Integrating Research with Seven Couple Cases Jennifer Fitzgerald