R130: The Decision to Divorce

This Reading Course will examine both sides of the controversy surrounding the therapist's role in helping couples make the decision whether or not to divorce. William Doherty examines the importance of therapists spelling out their values about marriage to both their clients and themselves. Barry McCarthy focuses on the importance of not assuming that all marriages can be saved. An interview with Judith Wallerstein looks at the profound effect of her 30 year research study, while Jay Lebow puts her work in the context of other divorce researchers. Jerome Price investigates the common phenomenon of couples officially divorced but emotionally married.

Course Readings

Couples on the Brink: Stopping the Marriage-Go-Round by Marian Sandmaier

The Fatally Flawed Marriage by Barry McCarthy

Getting Uncoupled: Anger Can Bind A Marriage Long After Divorce by Jerome Price

The Marriage-Preservation Debate: Reexamining the Research on Divorce by Jay Lebow

Judith Wallerstein and the Great Divorce Debate by Rob Waters

Creating the Good Divorce by Maria Isaacs

When Same-Sex Couples Divorce: For Gays and Lesbians, Splitting Up Can Create a Crisis of Self-Doubt by Laura Markowitz

Learning Objectives

1. Name three common but harmful responses by therapists to couples on the brink
2. Discuss three factors that keep divorced couples attached
3. Describe the unique issues of same-sex couples considering divorce