The Couples Therapy Companion: A Cognitive Behavior Workbook

203 Pages·2015·2.05 MB·English

by  Russell Grieger

THE COUPLES THERAPY COMPANION
Learn to look at marriage and couples counseling through the lens of Rational
Emotive Couples Therapy. Dr. Russell Grieger walks the reader through the
RECT process and includes numerous exercises that are appropriate for clini-
cians to use with their clients, for those couples who are in therapy and need a
little extra help, and for couples working to improve their relationship on their
own.
Along with explaining the process of Rational Emotive Couples Therapy,
Dr. Grieger makes the distinction between relationship difficulties, which are
small disagreements and dissatisfactions, and relationship disturbances, which
occur when a couple becomes emotionally distressed and entrenched in nega-
tivity. He walks readers through the couple diagnosis and presents eight power-
ful strategies for helping resolve both couple difficulties and disturbances to find
relationship harmony.
Dr. Grieger addresses such issues as ridding hurt, anger, fear, and insecu-
rity, enhancing closeness and intimacy, win-win conflict resolution, and build-
ing couple commitment and connection. Replete with exercises that empower
couples to take action and solve their problems, The Couples Therapy Companion
also helps readers to sustain the positive momentum learned in therapy in
everyday life.
Russell Grieger, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 35 years
of treating couples, an organizational consultant, and an adjunct professor at
the University of Virginia.
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THE COUPLES THERAPY COMPANION
A Cognitive Behavior Workbook
Russell Grieger
First published 2015
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business.
© 2015 Russell Grieger
The right of Russell Grieger to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Greiger, Russell.
The couples therapy companion : a cognitive behavior
workbook / Russell Greiger.
pages cm
Couples therapy. I. Title.
RC488.5.G734 2015
616.89'1562—dc23 2014042097
ISBN: 978-1-138-82843-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-82844-5 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-73839-0 (ebk)
Typeset in Dante
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
For Patti
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Contents
About the Author ix
Introduction 1
PART I
DIAGNOSING AND GOAL SETTING
1 The Couple Diagnosis 15
2 The Couple Goal Setting 33
PART II
PRESCRIBING SOLUTIONS
Eliminating Relationship Disturbance
3 Eliminating Relationship Disturbance: An Overview 43
4 Premeditated Acceptance and Forgiveness:
The Antidote to Hurt and Anger 54
5 Unconditional Self-Acceptance: The Antidote to
Fear and Insecurity 73
6 Relationship Resilience: The Antidote to
Low Frustration Tolerance 92
Building Relationship Harmony and Satisfaction
7 Building Relationship Harmony and Happiness: An Overview 109
8 Relentless and Intelligent Giving 121
9 Commitment to the Couple 136
vii
viii CONTENTS
10 Frequent, Passionate Intimacy 147
11 Win-Win Conflict Resolution 161
PART III
FOLLOWING THROUGH TO SUCCESS
12 Purposely Sustaining Momentum 175
Epilogue 185
Bibliography 187
Index 189
About the Author
Russell Grieger, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 35 years
of experience treating couples, as well as an organizational consultant and an
adjunct professor at the University of Virginia. He has authored six books, 75
articles, and monthly self-help blogs for Psychology Today. He is currently writing
a self-help book, tentatively titled The Happiness Handbook, and a memoir, The
Perfect Season, about his NCAA championship basketball team.
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