NCJ Number
114797
Date Published
1987
Length
192 pages
Annotation
This manual describes the objectives and techniques of the Family Preservation Project developed by the East Texas Crisis Center for use with violent couples.
Abstract
The FPP uses an eclectic counseling approach, primarily rational emotive techniques for dealing with distorted and irrational thinking patterns and behavior modification techniques for changing specific behavior patterns. Other approaches include reality therapy, Rogerian therapy, and transactional analysis. Counseling uses a developmental approach and uses a male/female treatment team. Following a discussion of general counseling techniques, individual chapters address specific needs and issues that violent couples need to work on. Each chapter contains an outline of objectives, materials needed for the session, and a section on procedure that covers client counseling, education, and homework. Topics dealt with include assessment and interpretation, basic anger management, communication skills (fair and dirty fighting, rules and barriers, and expression and listening), handling criticism, self-esteem dynamics and enhancement, and anger management (through cognitive restructuring, emotional awareness, and desensitization). Other chapters cover dynamics of assertiveness and assertiveness skills, problemsolving and decisionmaking, intimacy and love, and post-counseling assessment interpretation and program evaluation. Chapter references.