Fred P. Piercy

Family-Based Interventions for Helping Drug-Abusing Adolescents

This article describes the efficacy of two family-oriented, outpatient drug interventions for 84 adolescents who had used and abused drugs. Together, the two brief drug interventions appeared to significantly reduce the drug use of nearly one-half of the adolescentts who received the two family-focused drug interventions. It is surmised that this slccess was due partly to the fact that both outpatient interventions focus on the sxystemic treatment of entire familv groups rather than being given to the adolescents as inidiv iduals. WVheti comnpared, however the family therapy intervention appears to have been effectiv e itn reducing drug use for a greater percentage of the adolescents than did the familv education intervention.

Internet Infidelity: A Critical Review of the Literature

People are using the Internet more frequently to form friendships and romances and to initiate affairs. In the present article, the authors provide a critical review of the literature on Internet infidelity. The authors examine articles that focus on the definition of Internet infidelity, attitudes toward it, factors contributing to it, treatment, and/or any information about the impact of Internet infidelity on couples and families. The authors discuss the evolving use of the computer in sexual interactions and briefly summarize and critique the existing treatment methods. Recommendations for future directions in theory, research, and practice are presented.

A Feminist family therapist behavior checklist

Abstract This paper reports on the development and psychometric properties of an instrument for identifying feminist family therapy skills. Family therapy sessions of 60 therapists in a variety of settings were rated using the Feminist Family Therapist Behavior Checklist. The checklist was found to discriminate between self-reported feminists and nonfem-inists, between men and women, and between expert categorizations of feminist and nonfeminist therapy sessions. Additional validity and reliability data are reported. Potential uses of this checklist are discussed for clinicians, educators and researchers.

Mindfulness-based relationship education for couples expecting their first child--part 1: a randomized mixed-methods program evaluation.

This article is Part 1 of a two-part series, in which we report on our evaluation of a mindfulness-based relationship enhancement program for couples who are expecting their first child. In this mixed-methods randomized clinical trial, we assigned 33 couples to the 4-week Mindful Transition to Parenthood Program treatment group (n = 16 couples) or to a waitlist control condition (n = 17 couples). Men in the treatment group significantly improved in relationship satisfaction, mindfulness, and negative affect; women had no significant treatment effects. Small to large effect sizes were present for treatment group men and women in multiple areas. Mixed-methods analyses demonstrated that this intervention may be especially helpful for men because of differences in social support needs, effects of program enrollment, and relational processes in the prenatal period.

Infidelity: An Overview

SUMMARY In this article, we provide an overview of infidelity theory, research, and treatment. We discuss the effect of infidelity on couples and delineate three types of infidelityemotional, physical, and infidelity including aspects of both. Further, we expand traditional thinking about infidelity by reviewing the role of the Internet in infidelity, and explore infidelity within the context of comarital relationships. Finally, we discuss the overarching theories and common models used in infidelity treatment.

Engaging Students in Qualitative Research through Experiential Class Activities

Experiential activities help psychology students experience firsthand the richness and depth of meaning of qualitative data. Through these activities students grapple with pragmatic, philosophical, and ethical questions like those facing researchers in the field. These activities concern focus groups, observation, data collection, cultural sensitivity, ethnomethodology, data analysis, and ethics. In a final exercise students develop answers to the common challenges posed by skeptics of qualitative methodology. Instructors can select single exercises for broad psychology courses or use all of them, as we do, in a course dedicated to qualitative research in psychology.

Qualitative Methods in Family Evaluation: Creative Assessment Techniques

Traditionally, family therapists have used experiential activities primarily as interventions. In this article, the authors discuss the role that experiential therapy methods can play in qualitative family assessment. It is believed that these methods can be quite helpful in engaging family members in a collaborative evaluation process. The authors discuss the advantages of qualitative assessment as complement to more quantitative family evaluation measures and present several illustrative qualitative assessment procedures.

Essential Elements of Internet Infidelity Treatment

As the worldwide usage of the Internet tops 1.6 billion people, problems related to its use such as online Infidelity are becoming widespread issues for couples and, consequently, for their therapists. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how practicing therapists treat Internet infidelity through exploring the basic themes used in Internet infidelity treatment. We conducted in-depth interviews of 15 therapists with experience in treating Internet infidelity. Our findings indicate that therapists go through a variety of steps in treatment, including: (a) develop physical boundaries, (b) develop psychological boundaries, (c) manage accountability, trust, and feelings, (d) increase client awareness around etiology of the Internet relationship, (e) assessment of the couples context and readiness for change, (f) assess the presence of unique circumstances, and (g) work toward forgiveness. Implications and future research are discussed.

Internet Infidelity: A Multi-Phase Delphi Study

SUMMARY We used a multi-phase Delphi methodology to identify and explore critical issues, interventions, and gender differences in the treatment of Internet infidelity. We developed three representative vignettes related to Internet infidelity and asked twenty experts in extramarital affairs and/or sex addiction to respond to them, both through ratings and open-ended comments. We found little agreement among the experts. We discuss the unique features of Internet relationships, the areas of agreement and disagreement that we found among the experts, and the implications of our findings and the nature of Internet infidelity for both practice and training in marriage and family therapy.

A Theoretical Framework for Defining, Understanding, and Treating Internet Infidelity

Abstract We offer a theoretical framework for treating Internet infidelity that employs concepts from postmodernism and transgenerational therapy. With this framework, clinicians will better understand some of the definitional issues and system dynamics involved, which should support more informed, coherent treatment of Internet affairs.