Describe the social services available for resolving marital conflicts

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

?The primary social service for people who are considering a divorce or who have an empty-shell marriage is marriage counseling. Marriage counseling is provided by a variety of professionals, including social workers, psychologists, guidance counselors, psychiatrists, and members of the clergy. It is also provided (to a greater or lesser extent) by most direct social service agencies. Marriage counselors generally use a problem-solving approach in which (a) problems are first identified, (b) alternative solutions are generated, (c) the merits and shortcomings of the alternatives are examined, (d) the clients select one or more alternatives to implement, and (e) the extent to which the problems are resolved by the alternatives is later assessed. In marriage counseling, there is considerable effort by the counselor to see both spouses together during sessions. Joint sessions allow each partner the opportunity to refute what the other is saying. Only in rare cases is it desirable to hold an individual session with a spouse. If some of the areas of conflict involve other family members (such as the children), it may be desirable to include these other members in some of the sessions.
?Although marriage counseling and divorce counseling are the primary social services for resolving marital conflicts, other related services are available. They are:

Premarital counseling services are designed for couples who are considering marriage. Such services help clients assess whether marriage is in their best interest and also help them to prepare for the realities of marriage. Conflicts that people are having while dating are also worked on, and other topics, such as birth control, are explored.
The self-help organization Parents Without Partners (PWP) serves divorced people, unwed mothers or fathers, and stepparents. It is partially a social group, but it is also an organization that helps members with the adjustment problems of raising a family alone.
A recent development in social services is divorce mediation, which helps divorcing spouses to resolve (as amicably as possible) such issues as dividing the personal property, deciding custody and child support issues, and working out possible alimony arrangements.
Some agencies are now offering relationship workshops and encounter couple groups, which are designed to help those who are dating or who are married to improve their relationships through sharing concerns and improving communication patterns.