Reflections on Distressed Couples Contemplating Divorce: One Study of the Structured Separation Process

Considerable research has been published in the area of clinical treatment interventions concerning divorce and separation. Despite this fact, the American divorce rate today is more than twice that of 1960, although it has declined slightly since hitting the highest point in our history in the early 1980s (Whitehead & Popenoe, 2001). Whichever way one looks at it, dissolution of marriage is a common occurrence in our society and will continue to be so for many years to come. Family therapists in their work with couples and families are faced with this issue and are searching for ways to make this transition as healthy as possible for those dealing with the challenge. This clinical study examines one treatment approach, the Structured Marital Separation (SMS), proposed by Granvold and Tarrant in two 1983 articles in the Journal of Marital & Family Therapy. Thirty-six married couples, primarily of white, middle class backgrounds, were followed up to determine their reactions to the collaborative use of this intervention during marital treatment. Further, five therapists were asked about their experiences with the process. The authors discuss the clinical study, the SMS treatment process, results of the follow-up, and some suggestions for future work. (C) 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.