Marital Counseling: A Biblical, Behavioral, Cognitive Approach

Book Description:
Many couples who are hurting, initially seek help from their minister. Yet many --- perhaps most --- ministers today are in need of additional direction and structure for their work with couples. "Marital Counseling" was written in the belief that ministers, if properly trained and equipped, are capable of counseling many distressed couples. In this book, noted counselor H. Norman Wright provides a clear, systematic approach to help those in the ministry assist couples to restore and rebuild their marital relationships. This unique work, based on years of research and practice, provides a biblical basis for effective, short-term counseling that focuses on behavior and thoughts and emphasizes the positive. "Marital Counseling" includes a detailed analysis of the causes of marital dissatisfaction as viewed from the family life-cycle perspective. It offers specific techniques for increasing positive behavior, such as the "caring days" approach, behavioral exchange programs, positive reinforcement, and contract therapy. To facilitate lasting change, principles for helping counselees change their overall outlook are discussed at length. According to Dr. James C. Dobson, "Norman Wright's books and tapes have consistently focused on the critical issues that confront today's families. His work is encyclopaedic, dealing effectively with the myriad complexities of human relationships in the home. Now he has written a comprehensive text for Christian marriage counselors that will, I believe, become the standard against which other books in its field will be measured. I recommend "Marital Counseling" enthusiastically, not only to counseling students, but to the professionals as well."