Equal Partners - Good Friends: Empowering Couples Through Therapy

Marriage as an equal partnership is the goal of many couples in the Western world today, and yet equality is often limited by the ways that power and gender interact in the relationship, leading to dissatisfaction and ultimately the break-up of the marriage. This study examines the connection between inequality in marriage and marital distress. Drawing on research and personal interviews in the UK, USA and Israel, it stresses the role of friendship in establishing a truly equal relationship. Focusing on issues of gender, sex roles and power, the author provides a clinical treatment model for therapists working with couples, which is much needed in today’s climate of change.