Doing Couple Therapy: Craft and Creativity in Work with Intimate Partners

by Robert Taibbi

Wise, compassionate, and highly practical, this engaging text covers the entire process of therapeutic work with couples, from opening sessions and assessment through skills building, core issues, and termination. Students and novice couple therapists learn effective strategies for intervening with couples of any age who are struggling with acute crises or longstanding conflicts and power struggles. Rich with sensitive, detailed case material, the book features numerous exercises that help readers identify and develop their own strengths as practitioners. Self-care strategies and tips for getting the most out of supervision are provided. Special topics include how to address couple issues with only one partner and couple therapy applications for chronic mental health problems.

Genres: Psychology, Relationships, Nonfiction, School

276 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2009

Reviews

[Samantha Heuwagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to follow, insightful, and helpful when clinicians need a quick refresh on doing couples therapy.

[Chris Risley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful and accessible. He uses a combination of CBT and systems theory to describe ways to help couples change their patterns in relating.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great book for students or those in the counseling field looking to work with couples. It provides basic guidance and information.

[AmoRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another informative, easy-to-read guidebook from Bob Taibbi. I like his style with clients and as an author. I'm seeing a young couple now and look forward to integrating what I've learned from this book.

[Briana McCoy-Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provided some useful considerations for conceptualizing cases and basic overviews of potential interventions. A lot of the examples seemed heteronormative and reliant on stereotypical gender roles. I was also disappointed in the lack of cultural considerations.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

East to read and very informative

The author occasionally repeats some phrases but it wasn't terribly detrimental to the overarching helpfulness of this textbook, in my opinion.