Treating the Difficult Divorce : A Practical Guide for Psychotherapists

Divorce can be an exceptional challenge for couples and children who must endure acrimony, accusations, fear and anxiety for the future. Divorce is also a substantial challenge for mental health professionals, as standard psychotherapeutic approaches can prove insufficient for the complexities of families in crisis. Drawing on the integrative tradition that considers both individual and systemic processes, as well as his nearly 40 years of clinical practice, Jay L. Lebow presents his approach to treating difficult divorce. He describes strategies for intervention that show therapists how to calm individuals, couples, and families in acute distress, and help ease the transition to a new family structure. Chapters highlight the research on divorce and mental health; describe concrete interventions that achieve realistic treatment goals; explain how therapists interact with the legal system in divorce cases; and offer adaptations for different types of divorce, including high-conflict and more normative divorces. The approach can be used by one or more therapists, working with the whole family, a divorcing couple, a parent and child, or even an adult or child seen in individual therapy. Divorce can be an exceptional challenge for couples and children who must endure acrimony, accusations, fear and anxiety for the future. Divorce is also a substantial challenge for mental health professionals, as standard psychotherapeutic approaches can prove insufficient for the complexities of families in crisis. This book presents a comprehensive, integrative systemic approach to treating difficult divorce. Drawing on the integrative tradition that considers both individual and systemic processes, as well as his nearly forty years of clinical practice, Dr. Lebow describes strategies for intervention that show therapists how to calm individuals, couples, and families in acute distress, and help ease the transition to a new family structure. Chapters highlight the research on divorce and mental health, describe concrete interventions that achieve realistic treatment goals, explain how therapists interact with the legal system in divorce cases, and offer adaptations for different types of divorce, including high-conflict and more normative divorces. Can be used by one or more therapists, working with couples, a parent and child, a former partner, or even a single parent or child. This book presents a comprehensive, integrative, systemic approach to psychotherapy with families undergoing difficult divorce. Dr. Lebow describes strategies for intervention that show therapists how to calm individuals, couples, and families in acute distress, and help ease the transition to a new family structure. Chapters highlight the research on divorce and mental health, describe concrete interventions that achieve realistic treatment goals, explain how therapists interact with the legal system in divorce cases, and offer adaptations for high-conflict and normative divorces "Divorce is also a substantial challenge for mental health professionals, as standard psychotherapeutic approaches can prove insufficient for the complexities of families in crisis. This book presents a comprehensive, integrative systemic approach to treating difficult divorce. It consists of eleven chapters. Chapter one begins with a description of the aspects of difficult divorce. Chapter two examines divorce more broadly, reviewing the most important research about divorce and considering it in the context of the shifting attitudes about divorce in Western society. Chapter three segues from considerations about divorce in society to considerations about the topic of divorce in psychotherapy. Chapter four begins with a summary of the various structures for intervention in difficult divorce. Chapter five focuses on various aspects of structuring therapy in the model, including the therapeutic contract, alliance formation, initial assessment, goal setting, and planning. Chapter six describes intervention strategies and formats for therapy used in the model. Chapter seven discusses the interface with the legal system. Chapter eight examines several specific kinds of problems and issues that occur and how treatment is adapted in the presence of specific problems. Chapter nine focuses on the therapist's self-care in this work and how to mitigate burnout. Central to this book is a focus on those who fall at the high end of the continuum in difficulty in divorce. Chapter ten explores issues for the therapist as a person encountering difficult divorce cases. The book concludes with Chapter eleven, which describes two extended case examples of treating difficult divorce."--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved) Divorce can be an exceptional challenge for couples and children who must endure acrimony, accusations, fear and anxiety for the future.  Divorce is also a substantial challenge for mental health professionals, as standard psychotherapeutic approaches can prove insufficient for the complexities of families in crisis.

This book presents a comprehensive, integrative systemic approach to treating difficult divorce.  Drawing on the integrative tradition that considers both individual and systemic processes, as well as his nearly forty years of clinical practice, Dr. Lebow describes strategies for intervention that show therapists how to calm individuals, couples, and families in acute distress, and help ease the transition to a new family structure.  Chapters highlight the research on divorce and mental health, describe concrete interventions that achieve realistic treatment goals, explain how therapists interact with the legal system in divorce cases, and offer adaptations for different types of divorce, including high-conflict and more normative divorces.  Can be used by one or more therapists, working with couples, a parent and child, a former partner, or even a single parent or child.    This book presents a comprehensive, integrative, systemic approach to psychotherapy with families undergoing difficult divorce. Divorce can be an exceptional challenge for couples and children who must endure acrimony, accusations, fear and anxiety for the future. Divorce is also a substantial challenge for mental health professionals, as standard psychotherapeutic approaches can prove insufficient for the complexities of families in crisis. Drawing on the integrative tradition that considers both individual and systemic processes, as well as his nearly forty years of clinical practice, Dr. Lebow describes strategies for intervention that show therapists how to calm individuals, couples, and families in acute distress, and help ease the transition to a new family structure. Chapters highlight the research on divorce and mental health, describe concrete interventions that achieve realistic treatment goals, explain how therapists interact with the legal system in divorce cases, and offer adaptations for different types of divorce, including high-conflict and more normative divorces. This book can be used by one or more therapists, working with couples, a parent and child, a former partner, or even a single parent or child. Working in the territory of difficult divorce -- Divorce today -- Considerations in psychotherapy with clients contemplating divorce -- Working with families, couples, and individuals after the decision to divorce -- Structuring treatment in difficult divorce -- Specific treatment strategies in difficult divorce -- Interface interacting with the legal system and other professionals -- Special challenges and problems in difficult divorce -- Self-care for the therapists's interface inin difficult divorce -- Adaptations for less difficult divorces -- Case examples : working with difficult divorce -- References -- About the author -- Index Front Matter Contents Preface Introduction 1. Working in the Territory of Difficult Divorce 2. Divorce Today 3. Considerations in Psychotherapy With Clients Contemplating Divorce 4. Intervention With Divorce 5. Structuring Treatment in Difficult Divorce 6. Specific Treatment Strategies in Difficult Divorce 7. Interacting With the Legal System and Other Professionals 8. Special Challenges and Problems in Difficult Divorce 9. The Therapist's Interface With Difficult Divorce 10. Adaptations for Less Difficult Divorces 11. Case Examples: Working With Difficult Divorce References Index About the Author