For your Final Project, you will write a 12- to 15-page theory paper that articulates your theoretical orientation toward working with couples and families.

Your paper must include the following elements that evolve from your personal theoretical orientation (structural therapy, behaviorism, interventionsim, experiential, humanism etc),.,..choose one:

• The basic view of human nature, as seen through your theoretical lens
• Key factors that account for changes in behavior
• An explanation of how intervention strategies are designed within this theoretical orientation
• An explanation of how your theory conceptualizes mental health
• Key factors that contribute to healthy family/couple relationships
• A description of the skills necessary within this theoretical orientation to meet the agreed upon goals and outcomes for couples and families
• The nature of the practitioner-client relationship and its relative importance
• An explanation of the evidence to support your theoretical orientation as an appropriate intervention for couples and families in need
• Based on your couple/family theory, develop a primary intervention program for an area of need in your community or professional area of interest (include the purpose of the program, client population, and four major characteristics of the program that would contribute to its effectiveness)

• Analyze differences between couple and family counseling and individual counseling
• Analyze challenges when working with couples and families
• Analyze community resources related to primary, secondary, and/or tertiary services
• Analyze gaps related to community resource services

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Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Read the Course Overview under Course Home on the course navigation menu.

Gurman, A. S. (2010). Clinical casebook of couple therapy. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

• Chapter 1, "The Evolving Clinical Practice of Couple Therapy" (pp. 1–18)

Williams, M. (2012). Couples counseling: A step by step guide for therapists. Boston, MA: Viale Publishing.

• Chapter 1, "Getting Started” (pp. 1–23)
• Chapter 2, "1st Session: Intake” (pp. 25–40)

Lewis, J. A., Lewis, M. D., Daniels, J. A., & D'Andrea, M. J. (2002). The community counseling model. In J. A. Lewis, M. D. Lewis, J. A. Daniels, & M. J. D'Andrea, Community counseling: Empowerment strategies for a diverse society (pp. 1–44). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. (PDF)
Community Counseling: Empowerment Strategies for a Diverse Society by Lewis, J. A.; Lewis, M. D.; Daniels, J. A.; D'Andrea, M. J. Copyright 2002 by South-Western College Publishing, A Division of Cengage Learning. Reprinted by permission of South-Western College Publishing, A Division of Cengage Learning via the Copyright Clearance Center.

McCarthy, B., Ginsberg, R. L., & Cintron, J. A. (2008). Primary prevention in the first two years of marriage. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 19(2), 143–156.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

The Albert Ellis Institute. (2013). Retrieved from http://albertellis.org/

Chambless, D. L., Miklowitz, D. J., & Shoham, V. (2012). Beyond the patient: Couple and family therapy for individual problems. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(5), 487–489.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Fischer, D. J., & Fink, B. C. (2013). Clinical processes in behavioral couples therapy. Psychotherapy. Advance online publication.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Whisman, M. A., & Baucom, D. H. (2012). Intimate relationships and psychopathology. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 15(1), 4–13.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.