Marriage and Relationship Education

W. Kim Halford, PhD, is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. He was previously Professor of Clinical Psychology at Griffith University (1995–2008) and Director of Psychology at the Royal Brisbane Hospital (1991–1995). Dr. Halford has published four books and over 130 articles on couple therapy and couple relationship education. He works with couples adjusting to major life stresses and changes, including developing committed relationships, cancer diagnosis in a partner, becoming a parent, and forming a stepfamily. Dr. Halford leads the international team that developed the Couple CARE relationship education programs, is active in work with couples, and has provided training in work with couples to approximately 20,000 professionals in more than a dozen countries.

• 1. What Is Couple Relationship Education? Why Is It Needed? 2. Approaches to Couple Relationship Education and Their Effectiveness 3. Assessment in an Evidence-Based Approach to Couple Relationship Education 4. Couple CARE Program Overview and Tips for Implementation 5. Unit 1: Self-Change 6. Unit 2: Communication 7. Unit 3: Intimacy and Caring 8. Unit 4: Managing Differences 9. Unit 5: Sexuality 10. Unit 6: Looking Ahead

"From one of the world's leading marital researchers, this book should be required reading for all mental health professionals interested in relationships and marriage, especially couple therapists who want to expand their practices to encompass the growing field of relationship education. The book is special in that it translates decades of significant research on relationship education into a very clear, user-friendly presentation. I recommend this exciting book for use in undergraduate courses in marriage and the family and in all graduate courses that deal with couple therapy. Buy this book, read it, and put what you learn into practice with clients!"--Howard J. Markman, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Denver"With this comprehensive, beautifully written book, Halford brings the practice of couple relationship education to a whole new level. The program presented here enhances all aspects of couple functioning and includes specific guidance for helping partners initiate relationship behavior changes and sustain them over time. The book features assessment scales and plenty of illustrative vignettes. It will become an instant classic and core text for therapists, pastoral counselors, and other professionals who want to provide couples with the tools to make their love last."--Peter Fraenkel, PhD, Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York "This book sets a new high-water mark, not only for therapists, counselors, and their clients, but also for the field itself. While relationship enhancement programs have often lacked strict accountability based on research, Halford's approach is both clinically relevant and empirically sound. The book details effective assessment and stepped-training procedures with great clarity. Scholarly and accessible, it will have lasting utility for practitioners and students."--Robert L. Weiss, PhD, Department of Psychology (Emeritus), University of Oregon "This is the best description and evaluation of couple relationship education programs available today. The book gives you the details of why relationship education is important and how to conduct it. Clinicians and couple educators will flock to this exciting resource."--Jeffry H. Larson, PhD, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, Brigham Young University "This book presents a state-of-the-art program for relationship education, written by an internationally recognized expert on preventing relationship distress and divorce. The unique integration of scientific findings with a practical 'how-to' guide make this book an unparalleled resource for all those who seek to provide effective, research-based programming for couples. Mental health professionals, graduate students, researchers, clergy, and other relationship educators will find this book incredibly valuable as they work to help couples maintain healthy and stable relationships."--Kieran Sullivan, PhD, Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University"What is wonderful about this book is that it lives up to its title, providing the latest research about what does and doesn't work in relationship education as well as detailed information about how to actually do it. This is a practical manual filled with vignettes and examples that take you step by step through the process. It is an excellent resource for clinicians who want to provide couple education groups in their communities, or even to incorporate these tools and skills into their therapeutic work with couples."--Robert Taibbi, LCSW, private practice, Charlottesville, Virginia"I applaud Dr. Halford for making a valuable contribution to a growing and dynamic field of practice and applied research. The book provides important details on the innovative Couple CARE program, an evidence-based preventive intervention that is pushing the field to seriously consider more accessible self-directed programs to reach more couples. This book would be a valuable text in a psychoeducation course, and would also enrich clinical courses exploring ways to extend the effectiveness of couple therapy with brief, self-directed curricula."--Alan J. Hawkins, PhD, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University"Truly an outstanding contribution for those who care about couples, this book offers definitive direction and practical resources for leading couples to deeper, more satisfying relationships. Raising the bar on relationship education programs, Halford’s Couple CARE model provides a flexible, research-based, step-by-step approach to strengthening partnerships through self-change. Well illustrated with numerous examples, the book provides key insights and creative exercises for getting couples invested in a more meaningful relationship. Therapists, pastors, and relationship educators will find this an essential guide."--James L. Furrow, PhD, Evelyn and Frank Freed Professor of Marital and Family Therapy, Fuller Theological Seminary- This book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to help committed couples maintain and enrich their relationships. It should be on the shelves of those who already provide couple relationship education and is a good overview of the field for mental health practitioners interested in augmenting or transitioning their practices. It is also appropriate as a supplemental text for graduate courses in marriage and family therapy, family life education, pastoral counseling, counseling psychology, and social work....The last two thirds of the book contain its greatest strength. In these pages Halford presents his own couple relationship program: Couple CARE. This part of the book could easily stand alone as a step-by-step instructor guide for delivering this carefully conceived program. It contains beautifully detailed instructions for teaching six units (Self-Change, Communication, Intimacy and Caring, Managing Differences, Sexuality, and Looking Ahead) that each build on what was learned in the previous unit. Empirical findings on the predictors of long-term relationship satisfaction, stability, and dissolution inform all of the content choices. Relationship strengths and vulnerabilities both get adequate attention. Two features distinguish the Couple CARE from some other widely used skill-building couple relationship education programs. The first is careful attention to evidence-based teaching methods to maximize participant engagement and retention. The second is a focus on self-change....Thirty-five handouts and forms are included in the book that alone are worth the cost of the book for couple practitioners wanting to add to their tool kits. --PsycCRITIQUES, 11/6/2011