Couples, Trauma, and Catastrophes

Book excerpt: Couples, Trauma, and Catastrophes examines the issues and hardships couples face when dealing with traumatic circumstances, such as illness, child abduction, or the death of a child. From case studies and recommendations from other therapists, you will learn how to better help clients identify sources of pain and strength and help their relationships or marriages endure crises. In order to cope with the emotional stress of a tragic event, an individual needs support that is, many times, offered by a significant other. In this book, you will learn of models and suggestions that help couples communicate with each other and connect in times of great need. Couples, Trauma, and Catastrophes examines many topics that will improve your effectiveness with your clients, such as: trying to substitute another person's identity as your own and the harm it causes you and your relationship describing how to help couples hold, tell, master, and honor their traumas through therapy dealing with the death of a child through intimacy therapy and emotional responding describing congenital pseudarthrosis (CPT) and recommendations to lessen stress for the parents, such as sharing information and advice in a certain manner to avoid anger and hurt feelings and participating in a support group examining “survivor guilt” and how it negatively affects an individual and his/her relationships Observing theories from Virginia Satir and Viktor Frankl, this book offers exercises that couples can perform in therapy or at home that will help them cope with trauma. Giving you suggestions and theories that can be used to fit a variety of situations, Couples, Trauma, and Catastrophes provides you with proven, successful methods that will increase your effectiveness with clients dealing with catastrophes.