Katherine M. Helm - Love, Intimacy, and the African American Couple

LOVE, INTIMACY, AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COUPLE

This exciting new text on counseling African American couples outlines critical components to providing culturally sensitive treatment. Built around a framework that examines African American couples issues as well as the specific contextual factors that can negatively impact their relationships, it:

Addresses threats to love and intimacy for Black couples

Provides culturally relevant, strengths-based approaches and assessment practices

Includes interesting case studies at the conclusion of each chapter that illustrate important concepts.

The chapters span the current state of couple relationships; readers will find information for working with lesbians and gays in relationships, pastoral counseling, and intercultural Black couples. There is also a chapter for non-Black therapists who work with Black clients. Dispersed throughout the book are interviews with prominent African American couples experts: Dr. Chalandra M. Bryant, relationship expert Audrey B. Chapman, Dr. Daryl M. Rowe and Dr. Sandra Lyons-Rowe, and Dr. Thomas Parham. They provide personal insight on issues such as the strengths African Americans bring to relationships, their skills and struggles, and gender and class considerations. This must-read book will significantly help you and your clients.

Katherine M. Helm, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology and Director of Graduate Programs in Psychology at Lewis University, and is a practicing psychologist.

Jon Carlson, PsyD, EdD, ABPP, is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Counseling at Governors State University, and a psychologist at the Wellness Clinic in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

THE FAMILY THERAPY AND COUNSELING SERIES

SERIES EDITOR
JON CARLSON, Psy.D., Ed.D.

Kit S. Ng

Global Perspectives in Family Therapy: Development, Practice, Trends

Phyllis Erdman and Tom Caffery

Attachment and Family Systems: Conceptual, Empirical, and Therapeutic Relatedness

Wes Crenshaw

Treating Families and Children in the Child Protective System

Len Sperry

Assessment of Couples and Families: Contemporary and Cutting-Edge Strategies

Robert L. Smith and R. Esteban Montilla

Counseling and Family Therapy with Latino Populations: Strategies that Work

Catherine Ford Sori

Engaging Children in Family Therapy: Creative Approaches to Integrating Theory and Research in Clinical Practice

Paul R. Peluso

Infidelity: A Practitioners Guide to Working with Couples in Crisis

Jill D. Onedera

The Role of Religion in Marriage and Family Counseling

Christine Kerr, Janice Hoshino, Judith Sutherland, Sharyl Parashak, and Linda McCarley

Family Art Therapy

Debra D. Castaldo

Divorced Without Children: Solution Focused Therapy with Women at Midlife

Phyllis Erdman and Kok-Mun Ng

Attachment: Expanding the Cultural Connections

Jon Carlson and Len Sperry

Recovering Intimacy in Love Relationships: A Clinicians Guide

Adam Zagelbaum and Jon Carlson

Working with Immigrant Families: A Practical Guide for Counselors

Shea M. Dunham, Shannon B. Dermer, and Jon Carlson

Poisonous Parenting: Toxic Relationships Between Parents and Their Adult Children

David K. Carson and Montserrat Casado-Kehoe

Case Studies in Couples Therapy: Theory-Based Approaches

Bret A. Moore

Handbook of Counseling Military Couples

Len Sperry

Family Assessment: Contemporary and Cutting-Edge Strategies, 2nd ed.

Patricia A. Robey, Robert E. Wubbolding, and Jon Carlson

Contemporary Issues in Couples Counseling: A Choice Theory and Reality Therapy Approach

Paul R. Peluso, Richard E. Watts, and Mindy Parsons

Changing Aging, Changing Family Therapy: Practicing With 21st Century Realities

Dennis A. Bagarozzi

Couples in Collusion: Short-Term, Assessment-Based Strategies for Helping Couples Disarm Their Defenses

Katherine M. Helm and Jon Carlson

Love, Intimacy, and the African American Couple

Judith V. Jordan and Jon Carlson

Creating Connection: A Relational-Cultural Approach with Couples

LOVE, INTIMACY, AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COUPLE

Edited by
Katherine M. Helm and Jon Carlson

First published 2013
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Simultaneously published in the UK
by Routledge
27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2013 Taylor & Francis

The right of the editors to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Love, intimacy, and the African American couple / edited by
Katherine Helm, PhD & Jon Carlson, PsyD.

pages cm. (Family therapy and counseling)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. African Americans Marriage. 2. Couples therapy.

I. Helm, Katherine (Katherine M.) II. Carlson, Jon.

E185.86.L68 2013

616.89156dc23

2012038701

ISBN: 978-0-415-89262-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-65649-8 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-81771-1 (ebk)

Typeset in Baskerville
by HWA Text and Data Management, London

To: Anton Lewismy husband, friend, and love

For: my daughter Abigail Lewis. May you use the wisdom of this book in your relationships

Thanks to: Luke & Beverly Helm, Anton Lewis, Edmund Kearney, Jon Carlson, Kevin Cokley, Gordon Pitz, Jamie Kontos, and the Chicago Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists for your invaluable insights and support
Katherine M. Helm

To: my colleagues in the Division of Psychology & Counseling at Governors State University for over forty years of support and caring
Jon Carlson

CONTENTS

CONTRIBUTORS

Editor Biographies

Katherine M. Helm is a Professor of Psychology and Director of Graduate Programs in Psychology at Lewis University where she happily teaches a wide range of graduate and undergraduate counseling and psychology courses. Dr. Helm is also a licensed psychologist. She regularly sees individual clients and couples and supervises a clinical training program for masters and doctoral practicum students. She is an active member of the Association of Black Psychologists and the American Psychological Association. Dr. Helms scholarly contributions and interests are in the areas of: individual and couples counseling, sexuality issues and education, training and supervision, multicultural issues in counseling, the treatment of trauma for sexual abuse, pedagogy of multicultural courses, and cultural sensitivity training. Dr. Helm has counseling and consultative experience in psychiatric hospitals, community mental health, college counseling centers, and agency settings.