ABSTRACT
The concept of balance is central to systemic thought and the process of marital therapy. When the therapist thinks systemically, she or he believes that both partners of a relational dyad contribute to the intimacies and difficulties they might be experiencing. The marital therapist who is balanced in approach asks both partners to be accountable, confronts both with relatively equal intensity, and finds ways to be supportive and nurturing to each person. In such an approach, the marital therapist does not align with one partner or form a coalition against the other, but consistently addresses the influence and contribution of both spouses. If the therapist loses balance, the therapy is often destructive to one or both marital partners. Judgment and fault can take the place of personal responsibility and the establishment of a climate of fairness and trust. The clients' perception that the therapist is not balanced or fair is one of the main reasons for early termination.
