What Happens in Couple Therapy

“The book is very readable and offers a plethora of information….The therapist’s reflections at the end of each chapter are invaluable in learning about treatment with couples. This book should be required reading for any graduate student who will be counseling couples. Experienced therapists will also benefit greatly from this material.”

—Doody's Review Service


“This book makes a real contribution to the field. It surveys different ways of seeing and doing therapy, with many different kinds of couples. Chapters take us inside the therapist’s head and open up the process of therapy. The editors' comments on each case adds a valuable perspective. Each case and its story of how change occurs is fascinating and informative.”

—Susan M. Johnson, EdD, developer of emotionally focused therapy for couples


“In this wonderful book, a wide range of experts demonstrate how to think through tough cases. Therapists get to see how master clinicians confront common dilemmas in helping couples. This book is a great teaching tool.”

—John M. Gottman, PhD, author of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work


“For many beginning—or even seasoned—couple therapists, delivering an evidence-based treatment in an organic, connected way can seem impossible. That is why What Happens in Couple Therapy: A Casebook on Effective Practice and Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy, Sixth Edition should be required reading for all providers and students. Demonstrating how to implement the treatments covered in the Handbook, the master therapists’ narratives in the Casebook offer a guide to the richly complex journey of psychotherapy. Combining intellectual heft, caring, wisdom, and humility, these two volumes are perfect companions.”

—Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez, PhD, Department of Psychology, Utah State University; Editor, Family Process


“A 'must-have' for any couple therapist's bookshelf. This casebook fills a gap by describing the nitty-gritty of how treatment models are applied with real-world cases. The contributors are master clinicians who take great care to describe their clinical encounters, case conceptualizations, specific interventions used, and the sometimes mixed outcomes of treatment. I especially appreciate that the editors fostered a culture of humility throughout the book by having the clinicians share their own reactions in providing therapy. This is a standout text for training in couple therapy.”

—Candice M. Monson, PhD, Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Ontario, Canada


“Couple therapy is one part science, one part craft, and one part art. This extraordinary book describes the nuances of the craft and art of stimulating change in distressed couples. Take a front-row seat to see some of the most skilled couple therapists establish, maintain, and repair the often-precarious working relationship with each partner; select ideas and techniques to address the couple’s issues as they emerge in the moment; find the balance between working on challenges and celebrating strengths; and equip the couple with the skills and relational sensibilities they need to traverse life’s ups and downs. This book belongs in every graduate course on couple therapy, in postgraduate training programs, and on the shelves of even the most experienced practitioners.”

—Peter Fraenkel, PhD, Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York


“Snyder and Lebow offer an unusually intimate window into what actually happens when skilled clinicians lean into the pain, joy, and possibility of couple therapy. Addressing issues such as the transition to parenthood, sexuality, dealing with serious illness, and challenges facing same-sex and interracial couples, each chapter in this beautifully edited volume captures the thinking and feeling behind good work with couples. Therapists and trainees will be enriched by the common humanity that connects these richly diverse examples. Contributors share how their personal vulnerabilities coexist with—and even enhance—their clinical excellence.”

—Carmen Knudson-Martin, PhD, Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy Program (Emerita), Lewis and Clark College


“Gathering a large group of leading couple therapists to describe and illustrate their work is an extremely ambitious project. Snyder and Lebow have provided the expert editing, nurturance, and commentary to make this casebook compelling reading, regardless of your orientation. I recommend this text both for those in private practice and for students in couple therapy classes. Not only will you learn more about the various approaches and how some have been adapted to particular problems, but you will also learn about the humanity and vulnerability of the authors as they work with difficult clients.”

—Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance