ABSTRACT
Working therapeutically with military couples requires an understanding of the dynamic nature of the lives they lead. It also requires the understanding that some therapeutic models developed for couples and families in one branch of the armed services may have only limited applicability to other branches. For example, it is difficult to compare the deployment of an enlisted member of the U.S. Army as part of ground forces in Iraq or Afghanistan to the deployment of an enlisted member of the U.S. Navy serving on an aircraft carrier in
Systemic Factors Associated with Military Lifestyles ........................................ 56 Presenting Problems of Military Couples ........................................................... 58
Financial Problems ......................................................................................... 59 Problems with Children.................................................................................. 59 Remarriages.................................................................................................... 60 Extramarital Relationships ............................................................................. 60 Emotional Distance ........................................................................................ 61 Substance Use ................................................................................................ 62 Combat Stress................................................................................................. 62 Domestic Violence ......................................................................................... 63
Therapeutic Interventions for Military Couples.................................................. 63 Assessment ..................................................................................................... 64 Early Phases of Treatment .............................................................................. 65 Later Phases of Treatment .............................................................................. 68 Ending Phases of Therapy .............................................................................. 69
Therapeutic Models and Techniques to Use ....................................................... 69 Case Illustrations ................................................................................................. 70
Finding Our Places ......................................................................................... 70 The Surreal (Cyber) Life ................................................................................ 72
Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................. 76 References ........................................................................................................... 77
the Mediterranean Sea. While both may be separated from their families for extended periods of time, the extra strain of being in daily combat makes service a very different experience for Army versus Navy families. We seek to provide a “nuts and bolts” approach to military families utilizing a systems-based practice that is effective with families in the military regardless of branch of service or the practitioner’s therapeutic preference. Much of what is described in this chapter represents an attempt by private practitioners to provide services primarily to military family members. Although the service member may not be the identified client due to third-party payer constraints, he or she is as an integral part of the therapeutic approach.
