Helping couples on the brink of divorce : discernment counseling for troubled relationships / William J. Doherty and Steven M. Harris

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Doherty, William J. (William Joseph), 1945- Author.

Harris, Steven M. (Steven Michael), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Marital psychotherapy.

Marriage counseling.

Couples therapy.

Marital Therapy.

Couples Therapy.

Medical Subjects:

Marital Therapy.

Couples Therapy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Edition:

Second edition

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, [2026]

Summary:

"This second edition offers a session-by-session guide to discernment counseling, a specialized five-session intervention to help couples leaning different ways about divorce or separation find the best path forward for their troubled relationships. The authors have added new case examples that reflect different kinds of couples, as well as an additional chapter demonstrating the entire discernment counseling protocol in action. Updated scholarship and insights for learning to become a discernment counselor have also been included. Unlike traditional couples therapy, the goal of discernment counseling isn't to help the couple heal their relationship but rather to gain clarity and confidence about a direction for their relationship in terms of three potential paths: maintaining the status quo, getting divorced/separated, or entering couples therapy. Typically, one partner or spouse is invested in saving the relationship (leaning in) while the other is not (leaning out), so this book explores how to navigate these differing agendas and offers clinicians tools for interacting with both partners. It walks through the process of working with the couple together and with each partner individually, helping them to recognize their contributions to the relationship's problems and clarify what they would work on if they embark on couples therapy. Common challenges in discernment counseling are also explored, such as when neither partner is leaning in, when one partner is having an affair, and when there is lack of love or passion"-- Provided by publisher.

"This second edition offers a session-by-session guide to discernment counseling, a specialized five-session intervention to help couples leaning different ways about divorce or separation find the best path forward for their troubled relationships. The authors have added new case examples that reflect different kinds of couples, as well as an additional chapter demonstrating the entire discernment counseling protocol in action. Updated scholarship and insights for learning to become a discernment counselor have also been included. Unlike traditional couples therapy, the goal of discernment counseling isn't to help the couple heal their relationship but rather to gain clarity and confidence about a direction for their relationship in terms of three potential paths: maintaining the status quo, getting divorced/separated, or entering couples therapy. Typically, one partner or spouse is invested in saving the relationship (leaning in) while the other is not (leaning out), so this book explores how to navigate these differing agendas and offers clinicians tools for interacting with both partners. It walks through the process of working with the couple together and with each partner individually, helping them to recognize their contributions to the relationship's problems and clarify what they would work on if they embark on couples therapy. Common challenges in discernment counseling are also explored, such as when neither partner is leaning in, when one partner is having an affair, and when there is lack of love or passion"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

Introduction: Working With Mixed-Agenda Couples

Part I Overview and Foundations of Discernment Couseling

Chapter 1 Overview of Discernment Counseling

Chapter 2 Theoretical and Research Background

Part II Methods of Discernment Counseling

Chapter 3 Intake Procedures

Chapter 4 First Session Protocol

Chapter 5 Middle Sessions Protocol

Chapter 6 Handling Transitions to Couple Therapy (Path 3)

Chapter 7 Handling Transitions to Divorce (Path 2)

Chapter 8 Handling Transitions to the Status Quo (Path 1)

Chapter 9 Full Case Illustration of Discernment Counseling

Part III Common Scenarios in Discernment Counseling

Chapter 10 When Neither Partner Is Leaning In

Chapter 11 When One Partner Has an Affair

Chapter 12 When the Feelings Are Gone

Chapter 13 Shifting From Couple Therapy to Discernment Counseling

Part IV Becoming a Discernment Counselor

Chapter 14 Learning Discernment Counseling

Chapter 15 Building a Specialty Practice in Discernment Counseling

References

Index

About the Authors

Blank Page

Introduction : working with mixed-agenda couples

Overview of discernment counseling

Theoretical and research background

Intake procedures

First session protocol

Middle sessions protocol

Handling transitions to couple therapy (path 3)

Handling transitions to divorce (path 2)

Handling transitions to the status quo (path 1)

Full case illustration of discernment counseling

When neither partner is leaning in

When one partner has an affair

When the feelings are gone

Shifting from couple therapy to discernment counseling

Learning discernment counseling

Building a specialty practice in discernment counseling

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from PDF title page (APA PsycNet, viewed June 18, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Doherty, William J. (William Joseph), 1945- Helping couples on the brink of divorce.

ISBN:

9781433850189

1433850184

9781433844553

1433844559

OCLC:

1587447381

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license