
Working with Attachment in Couples Therapy
A Four-Step Model for Clinical Practice
Jim Donovan(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 21. November 2019
Book
Paperback/Softback
176 pages
978-0-367-27777-2 (ISBN)
Description
Through an exploration of extensive case studies, this book demonstrates how the discovery and examination of original childhood attachment wounds is crucial to couples therapy.
As many as half of all mental health referrals involve interpersonal issues and these very often relate to marital problems. Yet, after a half a century of couples therapy, we still lack a widely accepted treatment model for couples and there are relatively few training programs or graduate courses dedicated to the field. Why does an effective general approach to marital therapy remain so elusive? Working with Attachment in Couples Therapy: A Four-Step Model for Clinical Practice presents a series of in-depth case studies, which illustrate the seeking of the primary wound for each participant as it unfolds session by session and traces improvement in each couple while exploring past injuries.
This book represents essential reading for any mental health professional working with couples, as well as those in training.
As many as half of all mental health referrals involve interpersonal issues and these very often relate to marital problems. Yet, after a half a century of couples therapy, we still lack a widely accepted treatment model for couples and there are relatively few training programs or graduate courses dedicated to the field. Why does an effective general approach to marital therapy remain so elusive? Working with Attachment in Couples Therapy: A Four-Step Model for Clinical Practice presents a series of in-depth case studies, which illustrate the seeking of the primary wound for each participant as it unfolds session by session and traces improvement in each couple while exploring past injuries.
This book represents essential reading for any mental health professional working with couples, as well as those in training.
Reviews / Votes
"Dr. Donovan has an absolutely clear model for helping couples where each partner has been seriously and emotionally wounded in childhood. This is very common in those who come for marital therapy. The method he shares with many senior colleagues in the field of marital therapy is to earn the trust of each partner gradually so that each partner can come forth fully about how she or he was hurt and how this happens sadly again in the marriage. This is a method that deeply explores what has to come forth from the past, in an individual therapy of two people together, if each is to take much better care of the other."--Jim Gustafson, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin Medical School "Dr. Donovan has an absolutely clear model for helping couples where each partner has been seriously and emotionally wounded in childhood. This is very common in those who come for marital therapy. The method he shares with many senior colleagues in the field of marital therapy is to earn the trust of each partner gradually so that each partner can come forth fully about how she or he was hurt and how this happens sadly again in the marriage. This is a method that deeply explores what has to come forth from the past, in an individual therapy of two people together, if each is to take much better care of the other."
--Jim Gustafson, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin Medical School
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Postgraduate, Professional, and Professional Practice & Development
Illustrations
1 s/w Zeichnung
1 Line drawings, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Weight
306 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-367-27777-2 (9780367277772)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
11/2019
1st Edition
Routledge
€161.21
Shipment within 15-20 days

E-Book
11/2019
1st Edition
Routledge
€33.99
Available for download

E-Book
11/2019
1st Edition
Routledge
€33.99
Available for download
Person
Jim Donovan, PhD, is Associate Professor of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, Emeritus Director of Behavioural Health Training, Atrius Health, MA, and author of Short-Term Object Relations Couples Therapy: The Five-Step Model (Routledge, 2003).
Content
The Four Step Model: Step 1: The Resurrection of Safety. Step 2: Pursuing the attachment wound: Excerpts from Jim Donovan and other senior authors. After Identifying the Wound: Starting the Healing. Step 3: Treating the wound and rekindling the intimacy: Introducing three longer therapies. The Middle Stages of the treatment: The Challenge. Step 4: the Later Stages of couple treatment: Long term personality development. Final words: For now.