This new edition is comprehensive, clinically relevant, and thoroughly up-to-date. Since the publication of the first edition fourteen years ago, couples therapy - driven, in part, by managed care's requirements for accountability - has become increasingly integrative and research-based. This recognition is reflected in a number of new and powerful approaches and methods that are significantly impacting clinical practice and treatment results. These and other developments are incorporated into the second edition, which is nearly twice as long as the first. "Couples Therapy" retains a balance between the theoretical and the clinical, with ample description of techniques and methods and compelling case examples that illustrate theory and technique. Mental health professionals, family counselors, social workers, and other professionals will find this book to be a valuable resource in working with the changing pattern of the clinical practice of couples therapy. It provides a panoramic view of changing social and cultural trends that influence the institution of marriage. It covers new ideas for resolving distress in intimate relationships. It includes assessment and intervention strategies that work and practical techniques for working with domestic violence, substance abuse, and conflict resolution. It explores the elements of relational ethics for professionals in the field.