Heart Of The Matter: Perspectives On Emotion In Marital

First published in 1995. Intimate relationships are at the core of our emotional life. There is no other context so infused by and responsive to the ebb and flow of human emotion. A large part of human communication is emotional communication, involving minute signals concerning closeness and distance, and dominance and submission. This information is of central importance in organizing interactions with significant others. In addition, the social interactions most crucial to our senses of well-being, positive adaptation, and physical and emotional health are those that occur with significant others on whom we depend for our sense of security and belonging in the world. This book examines the role of affect in intimate relations and in the redefinition of such relationships in therapy. PART I: INTRODUCTION 1. EMOTION IN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS: THEORY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THERAPY PART II: AFFECT IN COUPLE RELATIONSHIPS AND THERAPY Section A: Dynamic Approaches: Ego-Analytic and Attachment 2. THE EGO-ANALYTIC APPROACH TO EMOTION IN COUPLES THERAPY 3. FROM SYMPTOM TO SIGNAL: AN ATTACHMENT VIEW OF EMOTION IN MARITAL THERAPY Section B: Humanistic and Experiential Approaches 4. HELPING COUPLES MAKE AUTHENTIC EMOTIONAL CONTACT 5. A SPIRAL MODEL OF INTIMACY 6. THE ROLE OF EMOTION IN RELATIONSHIP ENHANCEMENT MARITAL/FAMILY THERAPY Section C: Systemic Approaches 7. EMOTION IN THE CONTEXT OF SYSTEMIC MARITAL 8. EMOTION AND FAMILY LIVING: THE PERSPECTIVE