Why Therapy is Not in the Client's Best Interest

Divorce is well known to be a long-term, somewhat predictable process of many crisis points (Gray et al., 1991; Herz Brown, 1988; Wallerstein, 1986). Divorce is both a psychological and a legal process. The two processes traditionally have been treated very separately, yet they are in constant interaction. Although most literature supports the theory of psychological stages of divorce, a model of intervention adaptive to these stages has not been proposed. This article offers an appropriate model of intervention, called the expert-consultant model. This model is based theoretically on object relations theory and temporally on both the psychological and legal processes of divorce. It offers flexibility and consistency to both therapist and client-two essential needs during such crises.