I conduct my research and practice in the area of marital therapy. My interests and work in the area include: 1) identifying the processes through which partners cope with betrayal and forgiveness in marriage; 2) treating couples dealing with infidelity; 3) improving existing marital treatments; and 4) emotion regulation in relationships. I also am collaborating with colleagues at Duke University on a federally funded couples-based smoking cessation program for Latinos. My work attempts to systematically integrate a cognitive-behavioral orientation to relationships with a more developmental-affective treatment approach. My methodology utilizes self-report measures, interviews, observational coding, and written personal narratives.
Articles
Is pregnancy a teachable moment for smoking cessation among US Latino expectant fathers? A pilot study (with Kathryn I. Pollak, Susan Denman, Pauline Lyna, Pilar Rocha, Rebecca N. Brouwer, Laura Fish, and Donald H. Baucom), Ethnicity & Health (2010)
Objective. Pregnancy may be a time when US Latino expectant fathers consider quitting smoking. A...
Widening spheres of impact: The role of forgiveness in marital and family (with Farrah M. Hughes, Nathan D. Tomcik, Lee J. Dixon, and Samantha C. Litzinger), Journal of Family Psychology (2009)
This study examined relations between aspects of family functioning and positive and negative dimensions of...
Books
Helping Couples Get Past the Affair: A Clinician's Guide (with Donald H. Baucom and Douglas K. Snyder) (2009)
From leading marital therapists and researchers, this unique book presents a three-stage therapy approach for...
Contributions to Books
Forgiveness as a Resolution Strategy for Severe Marital Conflicts (with Sarah E. Gilbert, Jennifer M. Willett, and Patrick C. Carmody), Marriage: Roles, Stability and Conflict (2011)
Marriage has become an increasingly important topic in academic and policy research. A burgeoning literature...
Behavioral and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (with Lee J. Dixon, Jennifer M. Willett, and Farrah M. Hughes), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Family Psychology (2009)
The Handbook of Family Psychology provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical underpinnings and established...
Science, Practice, and Evidence-based Treatments in the Clinical Practice of Family Psychology (with Thomas L. Sexton), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Family Psychology (2009)
The Handbook of Family Psychology provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical underpinnings and established...