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Handbook of counseling military couples

As a Trainee Clinical Psychologist with a keen interest in the psychological difficulties that face military couples I could not wait to get my hands on this publication – and it did not disappoint. Clearly set out and very well resourced, this is the best practitioners’ handbook I have read in the field of military counselling literature. Given that this text is from the USA and there are considerable differences between the US and UK military experiences and veteran care, I was initially a little wary as to how relevant the contents would be to someone like me who is treating UK veterans. Although the majority of the references cited throughout come from the USA, I believe the key themes discussed in Section 1 are generally common to most military cultures. Likewise, the treatment modalities and specific issues presented in Sections 2 and 3 were all highly relevant to the work I have undertaken in this field here in the UK. I found Section 2, “Treatment Modalities” a hugely helpful resource in its own right. Each chapter concentrates on a different treatment model – such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), or solution-focused therapies – and tailors them specifically to treating military couples. The chapters are very well written and include background information on the models, case vignettes, therapist–client dialogue transcripts, and appendices with additional resources where applicable. Specific topics such as training requirements and supervision issues are also incorporated. Section 3 focuses on specific problems which commonly affect military couples such as substance abuse, domestic violence, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Unlike the chapters in Section 2, these take on more of a literature review style – presenting definitions, statistics, aetiologies, and treatment evidence bases. Of particular interest to me were the two chapters on same-sex military couples and cultural differences – very important issues that are sadly often overlooked in publications of this genre. Section 4 comprises two chapters under the heading “Resources.” Whilst interesting to read, these are perhaps the least useful chapters for practitioners outside the USA as they are largely based on American legislation and rehabilitation programmes within the US VA system. Overall I found this book to be a very interesting read and a valuable resource. It is easy to navigate – very much a text that one can dip into and use to support treatment delivery. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in, or working within, the field of military mental health.