Couples Connecting

Barbara Jo Brothers, MSW, BCD, a Diplomate in Clinical Social Work, National Association of Social Workers, is in private practice in New Orleans. She received her BA from the University of Texas and her MSW from Tulane University, where she is currently on the faculty. She was Editor of The Newsletter of the American Academy of Psychotherapists from 1976 to 1985, and was Associate Editor of Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy from 1979 to 1989. She has 30 years of experience, in both the public and private sectors, helping people to form skills that will enable them to connect emotionally. The author of numerous articles and book chapters on authenticity in human relating, she has advocated healthy, congruent communication that builds intimacy as opposed to destructive, incongruent communication which blocks intimacy. In addition to her many years of direct work with couples and families, Ms. Brothers has led numerous workshops on teaching communication in families and has also played an integral role in the development of training programs in family therapy for mental health workers throughout the Louisiana state mental health system. She is a board member of the Institute for International Connections, a non-profit organization for cross-cultural professional development focused on training and cross-cultural exchange with psychotherapists in Russia, republics once part of what used to be the Soviet Union, and other Eastern European countries.

Contents



Virginia Satir and Wholeness
Hope, Wholeness, and Helping the Flat to Grow Round
Developmental Prerequisites of Intimacy
Reflections on Intimacy: A Path Toward Transformation of Self, Other, and the Relationship
From Projective Identification to Empathic Connection: The Transformation of a Marriage From the Inside Out
Destiny or Illusion: The Impact of Family-of-Origin Patterns Among Pre-Marital Couples
A Typology of Anger Profiles in Couples
Who's Afraid of Intimacy?
Commitment: Implications for Couple Therapy
Index
Reference Notes Included