ABSTRACT
During the lifespan of most marriages and families there will be times when family members are not communicating effectively with each other. Consider for example a husband and wife who slowly grow distant from each other after years of marriage and begin to simply exclude each other from their day to day activities. Sometimes parents have a hard time getting through to their children, especially when those children reach adolescence. For example, an adolescent child might start wearing “strange” clothes, listening to rebellious music, and associating more with friends and less with family. Parents of such children often try many different tactics to maintain contact with and control of their child, often to no avail. Earlier in this book we examined research fi ndings showing that some of the ingredients for eventual marital distress are already evident in the communication behaviors of premarital couples. Some couples progress with wedding plans despite the incidence of domestic violence in their relationship. Is there any hope or help for such families and couples?
