Splitting Up: Enmeshment and Estrangement in the Process of Divorce

This thoroughly researched volume examines the emotional process of divorce, from the charactero-logical struggle that leads to the breakup through the difficult adjustments that come after the marriage is over. Illustrated throughout with evocative case examples, the book explores why marriages fail, the feelings and reactions of both the rejecting and rejected partners, the psychodynamics of jealousy, the possibility of reconciliation, and the impact of divorce on children. Psychological and cultural perspectives are employed to provide valuable conceptual and clinical insights for professionals working with individuals and couples in crisis. Presenting cogent observations about the changing nature of modern relationships, this timely volume will prove indispensable to therapists in a wide range of clinical settings, as well as students of couple and family therapy, psychology, psychiatry, and social work.