Experiences of Family Therapists Working with Families in a Transitional Homeless Community

This study examined confiding patterns in a national sample of 1000 U.S. adults aged 25-70 to inform the development of an educational program for confidants, called Marital First Responders. Results showed that 73% of U.S. adults have been a confidant to someone with a problem in a marriage or long-term committed relationship. The most common confiding relationship was between friends, followed by siblings. Confidants reported a wide range of problems brought to them, ranging from everyday complaints to serious issues such as infidelity and divorce. Confiders identified the most and least helpful responses. Findings suggest that naturally occurring confiding relationships have considerable potential to be the first level of help for troubled couple relationships.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Confiding About Problems in Marriage and Long‐Term Committed Relationships: A National Study

Seal

Doherty

Harris

2015

“…When working with multistressed and multineed families, however, it is also important to consider the extent to which contextual factors might influence families' lives and our clinical work with them (Harris‐McKoy, Woods, Brantley, & Farineau, ). At‐risk families may be working to manage a number of stressors such as poverty, single‐parenthood, and employment challenges that may take precedence over content addressed in intervention efforts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reciprocal Associations Among Maternal and Child Characteristics of At‐Risk Families: A Longitudinal Actor–Partner Interdependence Model

Claridge

Wojciak

Lettenberger-Klein

et al. 2014

Researchers have found linear associations among maternal and child characteristics. However, family systems theorists suggest that relationships are more complex and family members are interdependent. We used actor-partner interdependence modeling to unravel associations among maternal and child characteristics to predict outcomes in adolescence. We used data from 361 mother-child dyads from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect and found both actor and partner effects. Maternal depression and history of victimization were associated with children's later reports of lower mother-adolescent relationship quality. Children's perceptions of relationship quality were also associated with mothers' later depressive symptoms and perceptions of relationship quality. Overall, results highlighted interdependence among mothers and their children over time. We discuss implications for marriage and family therapists.

“…I said that I wanted to continue JMFT's commitment to the underserved and those in the margins. With this in mind, I am happy to see recent articles related to the treatment of the homeless (Harris‐McKoy, Woods, Brantley, & Farineau, ; Holtrop, McNeil, & McWey, ), those with physical and mental health issues (e.g., Houston‐Barrett & Wilson, ; MacPherson, Leffler, & Fristad, ; Wagner et al., ), those marginalized because of their sexual orientation, race, or other reasons (e.g., Coolhart, Baker, Farmer, Malaney, & Shipman, ; LaSala, ; Maciel & Knudson‐Martin, ; Quirk, Strokoff, Owen, France, & Bergen, ), those at risk for relational violence (Salis, Kliem, & O'Leary, ; Schneider & Brimhall, ; Taylor & Borduin, ), and substance abuse (e.g., Ladd & McCrady, ; Soloski, Kale Monk, & Durtschi, ). Similarly, we continue to publish important articles related to gender, power, culture, class, and their intersection (e.g., Knudson‐Martin et al., ; McDowell, Brown, Cullen, & Duyn, ; McDowell, Melendez‐Rhodes et al., ; Seedall, Holtrop, & Parra‐Cardona, ; Seshadri & Knudson‐Martin, ; Van Parys & Rober, ; Williams, Galick, Knudson‐Martin, & Huenergardt, ; Williams & Knudson‐Martin, ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Time to Reflect on JMFT

Piercy

2015

There is an ebb and flow in the seasons of academia. Some call the end of spring the "spin cycle" (as in washing machines, not politics) because of all the deadlines. But summer is another story. In summer, I garden, walk the dog, smell the flowers, and take time to breathe and reflect, which is my focus today.What should our values be for the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT) and are we living them? In the next issue, the JMFT annual report will include the quantitative story, complete with charts and statistics. Today, though, I will share some of what I said in my first editorial in January 2012 (Piercy, 2012) when I identified what I thought JMFT should be doing. I will then consider whether we have followed that road map or not. Admittedly, these are my opinions and not truth, but I will try to identify how certain articles in JMFT reflect some of the goals I mentioned in 2012.In my 2012 editorial, I emphasized the profound impact JMFT has had on the field and on me personally. I said that I wanted to continue JMFT's commitment to the underserved and those in the margins. With this in mind, I am happy to see recent articles related to the treatment of the homeless (Harris