ABSTRACT
The J. family was referred by a crisis center which had also referred Mrs. J. to a Safe House. The extreme stresses the family members reported included: stress between Mrs. J. and her family of origin; a continuing pattern of spouse abuse by the husband; a hyperactive child who was violent with other children at school and his brother at home; a recent, very traumatic, spontaneous miscarriage; intergenerational conflict of the husband with the wife's family of origin; the wife's psychological abuse of her husband; the wife's aligning with the children against him; and the husband's extreme frustration with his wife's premenstrual behaviors. Mrs. J. had spent the preceding weekend at a Safe House to escape physical abuse from her husband. The crisis worker reported that Mr. J. was extremely angry at her for taking the children with her, but that both husband and wife wanted marital reconciliation.
Mr. J., an instructor at a local high school, was 38 years old and Mrs. J., a housewife, was 33. The J.'s, who had moved into the community two years earlier from the mid-west, had two boys: L., age eight, and O., age five. L. had been diagnosed as hyperactive and was on Ritalin for his hyperactivity. O. was having nightmares apparently related to his older brother's violent and hostile treatment toward him and the violence of his father toward his mother. Mrs. J. reported that her father, now deceased, had been an alcoholic and had been psychologically abusive to her. There was great conflict between Mr. J. and Mrs. J.'s family of origin. These problems had greatly increased since Mrs. J.'s mother had refused to come and assist her during her recovery from a miscarriage. Both she and her husband were very hurt and disappointed about that. Mr. and Mrs. J. also reported that Mrs. J.'s mother was highly rejecting of Mr. J. and that this had significantly increased since Mrs. J. told her mother about the physical abuse. In fact, at the time of entering therapy, Mr. J. was quite alienated from Mrs. J.'s whole family, including her brothers and a sister. This stood in contrast to the couple's relationships with Mr. J.'s family of origin, which both Mr. and Mrs. J. agreed were positive.
