aThe Impact of Financial Stress in Marriage: Implications for Marriage and Family Therapists

Many couples who come in for family counseling report that financial difficulty is a factor contributing to their current struggles. Yet few therapists spend much time, or even feel qualified to help couples in this critical area. The purpose of this study was to interview subjects who were married or who are married to discern their financial management skills, and the impact it had on their marriages. Married people;N=11) were interviewed; they ranged in age from 25 to 56, and had been married for 4 months to 27 years. Twelve open-ended questions were asked. The questions centered on couples' financial values, money management techniques, spending categories, percentages of total available income spent in each category, and couples ' hindsight concerning their own spending habits. Subjects indicated stressors ranging from less time together, increased fatigue and anxiety, bickering and fighting over money spent, discussions of divorce and an expressed desire for less debt. All of the couples interviewed cited the availability of credit as a curse rather than a blessing. Of those respondents who had experienced a divorce, 60 % said that finances was either a major cause or a major factor. Therapists must remember to inquire about a family's financial system; therapists cannot afford to accept surface answers if they truly want to help the family create a healthier system. (AB L) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document