Stuart Couples

Myers Briggs Type Indicator Widely known as the MBTI, this instrument is often used to , I. Myers and help couples understand their differences and similarities. The McCaulley, 1985 MBTI emphasizes normality rather than pathology, and therefore couples are given feedback about their normal differences and how to live together more ef?ciently.

Stuart Couples’ Precounseling This questionnaire assesses couple relationship areas such as Inventory , Stuart and communication, con?ict management, relationship change Stuart, 1975 goals, and others. It emphasizes a social learning approach to relationship change. Consequently, the instrument focuses on descriptions of current interaction patterns, rather than personality characteristics.SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS The following discussion focuses on situations and issues that interviewers who plan to work with couples and families should consider. These situations and issues are unique to working with couples and families.

Identifying, Managing, and Modifying Con?ict Couples or families who come for help are frequently there because they have encountered serious con?icts in their relationship and lack the skills to resolve them. Therefore, interviewers must identify, manage, and sometimes modify the ways couples and families express their con?ict. Some couples and families seem to ?ght more readily and naturally than they do anything else. There are a number of issues related to con?ict that manifest when interviewing couples or families.

Con?ict Process versus Con?ict Content Couples come to counseling with numerous con?icts. For example, three of the top areas of ongoing con?ict reported by couples are money, sex, and in laws. Of course, there are many other potential couple con?ict areas, including division of labor, child rearing, and recreational and religious pursuits/preferences . Similarly, families arrive in counseling with a variety of common con?ict areas. Shared duties, chores, children’s individuation needs, and fairness in family resource allocation are some of the most common family issues presented in counseling.