ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we focus on therapy with one of the most intense and im portant family relationships, the intimate couple. In earlier times, this area was known as “marriage counseling” or “marital therapy.” The focus was on improving relationships between married spouses. As family forms have become increasingly diversified, many have found the term “marital ther apy” limiting. It does not include, for example, cohabiting couples or samesex couples who may be in committed long-term relationships. We consider a couple to be two partners who are in a serious, intimate, committed rela tionship, including gay, lesbian, or bisexual couples, cohabiting couples, and married couples. Thus couple therapy addresses these serious, commit ted relationships.
