Intermarriage is a term applied to a married couple whose religious, racial, or ethnic backgrounds are different. There are three classifications under which an intermarriage can fall: interfaith, interracial, and interethnic. There are two typical patterns of intermarriage. In the first pattern, which has to do with ethnic identity, individuals seek to "fill in the holes" of their own ethnic identities. In the second pattern, which deals with family of origin conflict, the individual marries to solve a family dilemma. Potential areas of difficulty include problems in communication, including nonverbal communication; prejudices and stereotypes; surrounding family; differences in concept of marriage; a language barrier; differences in values; differing cultural objectives for marriage, including sexual relationships, the manner in which children are reared, the division of labor and responsibility, and the nature of love; degree of acculturation; religious differences; and racial differences. Three general goals for counseling intermarried couples have been suggested: keeping open relationships with all family members, which may include reestablishing cutoff relationships; increasing the clients' flexibilities for dealing with the differences of the other's background; and claiming one's own cultural rituals as part of their married identity. In times of stress and conflict abilities to tolerate differences diminish. Such differences which may have once been the attraction then become the sources of problems. (ABL)