Single in a married world

Using a multicontextual life cycle framework, this book shows how the therapist can help the single adult make the shift from seeing the lack of marital status as a central life story to defining an authentic self, whether of not marriage is on the horizon. This involves looking not only at expectations within the family but also at society's stigmatization and marginalization of single adults.

The therapeutic map outlined here takes into account the societal context, the familial context, and the developmental life cycle context.