ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the relational aspects present in healthy and unhealthy couples. It discusses the diagnostic system for individual pathology and some of the more common psychiatric disorders that couples present in therapy. Families with healthy relationships have commitment, appreciation for one another, and good communication; spend time with one another; are spiritually well; and have good coping abilities. A couple begins a relationship with an assortment of skills, some effective and some ineffective. The dynamics of the psychotic-controlling relationship reflect a controlling individual who was most likely a parentified child and thus feels a sense of fulfillment taking care of the "sick" partner. The dynamics of the psychotic-dependent relationship revolve around the dependent partner's need for a relationship with "someone special" and recognition of the specialness of the prepsychotic presentation of the other person. The two most dysfunctional pairings are the psychotic-controlling couple and the psychotic-dependent couple where the dynamics of the relationship are as detrimental as the individual pathology.
