This article explores the impact of relationship education on young adults' optimism about relationships and attitudes toward marriage whose parents were divorced and offers implications and suggestions for counselors and counselor educators. Previous research in the area of intimate and family relationships has demonstrated that adults who have…

This phenomenological study investigates the types of personal and community resources that female intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors used when leaving an abusive male partner. Three African American and 2 European American IPV survivors, ages 24 to 38 years, described positive and negative experiences with social support, personal…

Prior nonmarital breakup research has been focused on negative outcomes, rarely examining the personal growth aspects of this experience. In this study, we used a qualitative grounded theory methodology to explore the changes that university students reported experiencing as a result of a heterosexual nonmarital breakup and how those changes…

To date, little research has been published related to cross-cultural differences in such marital factors as love, intimacy, happiness, and satisfaction. The present study compares factors contributing to marital satisfaction and examines correlations between the importance of these factors and the level of satisfaction for three groups: Asian…

This autoethnographic study addresses the newly appointed counselling trainer's question "How did I get here?" The procedure is described, and findings are presented as partial narratives of the Wounded Dancer, poems and prose written from different voices. Themes are revealed of love, healing, risk taking, unconventionality, physicality and…

The authors examined the associations between internalized homophobia, outness, community connectedness, depressive symptoms, and relationship quality among a diverse community sample of 396 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. Structural equation models showed that internalized homophobia was associated with greater relationship problems…

Presents intimacy genogram, method for charting patterns of intimate behavior multigenerationally by questioning clients about their definitions of intimacy and how that intimacy is and was experienced and expressed historically in the family. Explains procedures for developing intimacy genogram and presents case example to illustrate its use. (NB)

This article describes an intervention used by the author in her clinical practice. Some clients have a need to resolve relationship issues. "A Musical Chronology" has been a helpful resource for this work. Through the chronology, clients examine their life/love stories, share these stories with their therapist, and work through grief or other…

This study examined if experienced long-distance relationship (LDR) participants would be willing to be involved in a LDR again. In addition, although positive and negative outcomes have been reported in LDRs research, very little research investigated relationship skills gained during a LDR. Students in a Midwestern university completed…

Six love styles have been theorized to be related to several personality constructs (e.g., self-esteem) (Lee, 1973). Despite the interpersonal nature of love, investigations have yet to evaluate related variables and their association to love styles in romantic relationships. As a stable cognitive schema, silencing the self is proposed to account…

Evidence garnered by this study may help provide college counselors with a clinically useful model of codependency, informing their assessment and treatment planning of students who present with self-identified codependency characteristics. Specifically, codependence inclined students may exhibit tendencies toward self-defeating and covert…

The relationship between empathy and forgiveness is explored through the painful experience of divorce and relationship loss. Authors propose a literary exercise, the Novel Approach, to help clients discover the power of empathy and find resolution to past pains. Included is a case study used to describe the Novel Approach and to highlight its…

It has been observed that more and more clients have emphasized the need for intimacy and trust in their long-term relationships, yet they do not always know how to go about establishing these traits. This book was designed for counselors who have recognized similar needs in their own clientele and who wish to help people improve their…

As a universal theme, love touches each of our lives in different and unique ways. This manuscript addresses the often overlooked sense of grief and loss that occurs when our dreams of love are shattered. It also addresses how addiction and commitment conflicts impede intimacy and loving relationships. While movies, music, and books offer many…

This book is designed to bridge the gap between the reality of professional practice and what is being written about it in professional publications. It is divided into three sections, focusing on the techniques of assessment, transgenerational techniques, and constructivist techniques. Section one argues that assessment is the basis of all…