Journal of marital and family therapy最新文献

Rising divorce rates in Mexico highlight the need to address the emotional and relational effects of family transitions on children. This conceptual-clinical paper presents an integrative art therapy framework that weaves narrative, systemic, and attachment perspectives through the creation of a family book, a creative ritual that functions as both a narrative container and a transitional object. Grounded in clinical practice, this process supports emotional expression, meaning making, and the strengthening of family bonds within reconfigured family systems. Using a case illustration, the paper shows how collaborative art-making fosters communication, resilience, and secure attachment during parental separation. The discussion emphasizes the relevance of creative therapeutic rituals for supporting adaptation, reducing emotional distress, and promoting continuity across homes. This approach positions family-centered art therapy as a valuable component of clinical practice and emerging policy initiatives aimed at safeguarding children's emotional well-being during divorce.

The maintenance of stable and satisfied relationships is important for African American (AA) couples, but few studies examine their unique issues. This study offers a nuanced picture of AA relationships by exploring four race-specific factors: (1) components of the partners' discussions about race; (2) perceived supportiveness of these discussions; (3) partners' report of an AA couple identity; and (4) partners' belief in the uniqueness of AA relationships. 137 AA adults in mixed gender relationships with an AA partner completed survey questionnaires, including individual- and relational-level race-related constructs. Results of descriptive statistics identified a pattern regarding the occurrence, frequency, and content of race-related conversations. Correlational and linear regression analyses elucidated relationships among frequency and supportiveness of race-related conversations and both cultural and couple outcomes. These results are discussed in context with the extant literature regarding AA couples, and both research and clinical strengths-based future directions and implications are provided.

Premature discontinuation from couple therapy presents a substantial challenge for clients, therapists, and society. Inconsistent data on the frequency and reasons for premature discontinuation may be attributed to a lack of methodological rigor in assessing the phenomenon. This study addresses this gap by developing the Disclosed Reasons Of Partners' PrEmature Discontinuation in Couple Therapy Questionnaire (DROPPED-CT), a comprehensive instrument designed to assess the reasons why couples prematurely discontinue therapy. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, the DROPPED-CT was developed through the integration of qualitative and quantitative data. The questionnaire demonstrates strong potential for enhancing the consistency of construct operationalization and improving the comparability of research findings. By identifying factors contributing to premature discontinuation, this instrument can inform therapists and clinics in tailoring their services, potentially increasing treatment efficacy and reducing discontinuation rates. A DROPPED-CT Short Version was also created.

In this study, we examined whether family adversity and parental marital quality were associated with family-of-origin relational ethics, a hallmark feature of contextual therapy theory. Data were collected from 211 adult clients at a university-based therapy center between 2014 and 2018. A three-step hierarchical regression model was tested, controlling for age and gender. Parental marital happiness and parental infidelity, as well as indicators of family adversity such as physical abuse experiences and living with a parent or caregiver with drug dependence in childhood, significantly correlated with family-of-origin relationships. The entire model explained 45% of the variance of the outcome. Findings provide empirical evidence of the relationship between recalled experiences of family adversity, parental marital quality, and relational ethics in one's family, as hypothesized by contextual therapy theory. Clinical implications of these findings include the need for a thorough assessment of family-of-origin factors and relational dynamics when working with adult individuals.

Pediatric Integrated Specialty Care (PISC), where children receive treatment for complex health conditions alongside behavioral health support, is an emerging area of clinical practice and professional training. Medical family therapists (MedFTs) contribute uniquely in these settings by integrating medical and psychosocial dimensions of care. This study explored the experiences of marriage and family therapy (MFT) trainees and professionals (n = 8) working in PISC through interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Findings revealed seven themes illustrating challenges and opportunities in role negotiation, professional identity formation, and competency-based growth within high-acuity pediatric environments. Participants emphasized systemic skills, relational presence, communication, adaptability, and patience as central to effective collaboration in interdisciplinary teams. Their reflections underscored the importance of experiential learning, supervision, and advanced coursework in medical literacy to strengthen preparedness for PISC practice. Implications are discussed surrounding the integration of national interprofessional competencies to align MedFT education with the unique demands of pediatric specialty care.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of Israeli therapists implementing the FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress) intervention. Originally developed for US military families, the FOCUS model was adapted to support civilian families exposed to chronic trauma. Through in-depth interviews with 13 therapists, the study identified three main themes: the shift from individual to family trauma-focused care, acquisition of new therapeutic tools, and challenges in implementation. Therapists emphasized the importance of addressing trauma within the family system but reported lacking appropriate tools before using FOCUS. The program offered structured yet adaptable methods to help families reconstruct a shared narrative and strengthen resilience. Challenges included the need for prior family therapy experience, intensive supervision, and difficulties recruiting all family members. The findings support the integration of trauma-informed care and family therapy, highlighting the need for further research on FOCUS's long-term effects and adaptability in diverse settings involving all family members.

This study examined gender differences in couple satisfaction and communication patterns between women in cross-national marriages and their Korean husbands, couple satisfaction levels varying by communication patterns, and the mediating effect of intimacy on the relationship between communication and couple satisfaction. The study sample is 161 couples of women in cross-national marriages and their Korean husbands residing in Gyeongnam Province, South Korea. Women in cross-national marriages reported significantly lower couple satisfaction and revealed more negative communication patterns compared to their Korean husbands. Couples where both spouses engaged in positive communication experienced the highest levels of couple satisfaction. Multi-group structural equation modeling suggested the mediating effect of intimacy on the relationship between communication and couple satisfaction for both women in cross-national marriages and Korean husbands. These findings have implications for developing policy and practice interventions enhancing couple satisfaction among women in cross-national marriages and their Korean husbands through improved communication and intimacy.