Marriage Counselling

Description of "relationship counseling" focused on the requested relief of marital conflict rather than on reconstruction of individual personality patterns. Marital stability is held possible even with extreme neurosis in 1 or both partners, provided the needs for which they married are met. Sharing the same caseworker is held vital for encouraging communication and a joint focus. An initial joint interview fosters exploration, further commitment, and recognition of the temporary need for help in surmounting the marital impasse. Diagnostic classifications found useful are: sex role conflict, sado-masochistic conflict, detached-demanding conflict, oral-dependent conflict, and neurotic illness conflict. Successful treatment techniques are presented. Appropriate circumstances outlined for intermittent joint interviews are: contradictory stories, threatened discontinuation, plateaus, reviewing and planning, encouraging communication, follow-up.