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Dr. Sager has organized and presented a conceptual framework, which successfully clarifies many complex aspects of marital interaction and provides a means of increasing our therapeutic acumen. He dissects the components of the conscious and unconscious commitments and expectations of the partners and asks that they bring verbalized and unverbalized components into focus. With the help of the therapist, they attempt to bring conflicts into consciousness so that marital contracts can be formulated, first individually and then by the pair in a single contract.
While the extensive formalization of the process may not fit with every therapist's style or therapeutic approach, the exercise is a valuable one, particularly for those with less experience in couples therapy. Sager considers three major parameters for the contract: those based on expectations of the marriage, those based on intrapsychic and biological needs, and those based on external foci like lack of communication, unfulfilled emotional needs, arguments, sexual dissatisfaction, etc. He dissects the components of each of these areas and then looks carefully at the interactional system, noting the shift in marital style in recent years which has permitted increasing independence and self-determination of the partners.
In his discussions of contracts and commitment, Sager raises a number of important issues related both to the changes in society and the sameness of human desires. He discusses short- and long-term bonding, the factors involved in mate choice and the defense mechanisms which are most important in the couple's interaction. Marital system dynamics including transference issues and uneven development are also considered. The extensive case examples throughout the book clarify the theoretical points Sager makes and demonstrate how he translates his concepts into practice.
The section on behavioral profiles defines the style of each partner in terms of his/her expectations and manner of relating. Sager