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Ledgers in Couple and Family Therapy

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Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy

Name of Concept

Ledger in couple and family therapy

Introduction

Interpersonal relationships are dynamic interactions existing between individuals inside a broader system. Within relationships, individuals engage in explicit and implicit giving, receiving, and taking. The relationship ledger is an invisible interpersonal balance of entitlements (i.e., what one is owed or earned) and indebtedness (i.e., what one owes another) that is overtly and covertly maintained by both members of a dyad and multiple members of a family system.

Theoretical Context for Concept

Development of the interpersonal ledger was influenced by existential philosophy, object relations theory, and contextual family therapy focusing on the impact of multigenerational (i.e., three generations) familial connections on present relationships. Relational “health” is achieved when individuals perceive symmetry (i.e., equitable balance in the ledger) within the relationship, or can notice asymmetryand engage in...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jessica R. M. Liu

Authors
  1. Jessica R. M. Liu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jessica R. M. Liu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Jay Lebow

  2. The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Anthony Chambers

  3. The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Douglas C. Breunlin

Section Editor information

  1. Alliant International University, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Molly F. Gasbarrini Ph.D.

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© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

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Liu, J.R.M. (2017). Ledgers in Couple and Family Therapy. In: Lebow, J., Chambers, A., Breunlin, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_354-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_354-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-15877-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-15877-8

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