By the end of World War I, the skyrocketing divorce rate in the United States had generated a deep-seated anxiety about marriage. This fear drove middle-class couples to seek advice, both professional and popular, in order to strengthen their relationships. In Making Marriage Work, historian Kristin Celello offers an insightful and wide-ranging account of marriage and divorce in America in the twentieth century, focusing on the development of the idea of marriage as "work." Throughout, Celello illuminates the interaction of marriage and divorce over the century and reveals how the idea that marriage requires work became part of Americans' collective consciousness.

A comprehensive and practical approach to the world of marriage, couples, and family counseling Esteemed academics David Capuzzi and Mark D. Stauffer present the theory, research, and real-life practice of today's counselors and therapists in family therapy settings. Aligned with the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), this useful text covers foundational teaching important to readers, but also critical modern topics not included in other texts, such as sexuality, trauma, divorce, domestic violence, and addictions, filial play therapy, and using community genograms to position culture and context in family therapy. With a unique focus on practical applications, the book discusses the major family therapy theories, and provides graduate students and post-graduate learners in counseling, mental health, and behavioral health fields the skills and techniques they need to help couples and families as part of their work in a variety of helping environments. Each chapter contains case studies and anecdotes that help readers think critically about the issues they are likely to deal with as clinicians. Written by recognized and respected contributors, this book helps readers see the connection between what they know and what happens in couples and family counseling sessions. Readers will: Learn the knowledge and skills essential to family therapy Understand the history, concepts, and techniques associated with major theories Examine the key issues specific to couples work, with relevant intervention Explore solutions to the complexities generated by special issues Discusses the modern realities of family, diversity and culture, and systemic contexts Family and couples counseling presents a complex interplay of various factors inherent to each individual, the dynamic interplay between each person's issues, and the outside influences that shape behavior. Foundations of Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling helps readers sort out the complexity and guide clients toward lasting resolution.

The most well-known, long-lived, and tried-and-tested relationships guide ever: the phenomenal #1 New York Times bestseller Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. In this classic guide to understanding the opposite sex, Dr. John Gray provides a practical and proven way for men and women to improve their communication by acknowledging the differences between their needs, desires, and behaviors. Once upon a time Martians and Venusians met, fell in love, and had happy relationships together because they respected and accepted their differences. Then they came to Earth and amnesia set in: they forgot they were from different planets. Based on years of successful counseling of couples and individuals, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus has helped millions of couples transform their relationships. Now viewed as a modern classic, this timeless book has helped men and women realize how different they can be in their communication styles, their emotional needs, and their modes of behavior--and offers the secrets of communicating without conflicts, allowing couples to give intimacy every chance to grow. 

Understanding interpersonal relationships requires understanding actors, behaviors, and contexts. This 2002 volume presents research from a variety of disciplines that examine personal relationships on all three levels. The first section focuses on the factors that influence individuals to enter, maintain, and dissolve relationships. The second section emphasizes ongoing processes that characterize relationships and focuses on issues such as arguing and sacrificing. The third and final section demonstrates that the process of stability and change are embedded in social, cultural, and historical contexts. Chapters address cultural universals as well as cross-cultural differences in relationship behaviors and outcomes. The emergence of relational forms, such as the interaction between people and computers, is also explored. Stability and Change in Relationships will be of interest to a broad range of fields, including psychology, sociology, communications, gerontology, and counselling.

"Reflecting the breath of love's myriad effects and possible causes, as well as the relatively recent volume of systematic scientific inquiry into these, the love literature is sprawling and unruly. Sternberg, however, hasdone an excellent job of selecting representative approaches and findings and presenting them to students in an organized, scholarly, and engaging way." Ellen Berscheid, PhD Regents' Professor of Psychology Emeritus University of Minnesota While many people view love as a nebulous concept that is difficult to study scientifically, there exists a substantial psychological discipline that studies intimate relations. This incisive text provides a comprehensive tour of both classic and contemporary theories and research on the how and why of human love. In addition to presenting the major biological, social, and cultural theories that have been developed on this topic, the book looks at what research has shown us about such essential issues as basic attraction, the life course of relationships, how personality and environment affect love, and how therapeutic interventions can sometimes improve relationships. Both scholarly and practical, the book is unique in also helping readers to understand their own relationships. Concise and accessible, the text illustrates how a love relationship can be measured and explores the questions posed by psychologists in their quest for understanding: Is love simply a function of human biology? What part do our individual personalities play in attracting and maintaining love relationships? Can people stay in love? How does being in a close relationship affect our mental and physical health? The book not only covers the most relevant research that the discipline of psychology has developed on intimate relationships, but also aims to help readers put this research into a practical context to help them understand their own love relationships. The book concludes with a review of various therapeutic approaches to improving love relationships. Case studies and questionnaires illustrate key points. Key Features: Offers a brief, accessible, and up-to-date survey of theory and research on the psychology of love Discusses how love relationships can be measured Includes short quizzes that readers can take and self-score to help them understand their own ways of engaging with love Provides concrete and practical suggestions, based on scholarly research, on how readers can improve their own relationships. Written for undergraduate students

This book provides a comprehensive research-based analysis of love in human life: romantic love and its ups and downs, and the fascination of love, the combination of work and family, the secrets of a long-lasting marriage, senior love, and the throes and relief of a divorce. Love is also discussed in relation to other phenomena, such as friendship, play, and creativity. In addition, themes of parental love and pedagogical love, and the ability to love, as well as dark sides of love are introduced.