Perceived Marital Changes Following Marriage Guidance Training

Training to become a marriage guidance counsellor in Scotland involves a relatively demanding 18 months' programme of both didactic and experiential learning. Changes in the counsellors' marital relationships following training were evaluated using the Marital Adjustment Test and two ad hoc questionnaires. Of the 49 counsellors who (a) began training between 1976 and 1980, (b) completed the training and (c) were still counselling in February 1983, 33 participated, as did 30 of their partners. In general, the counsellors and their partners reported increased marital satisfaction following the training period, though five counsellors and two partners reported a decrease. The findings from the ad hoc questionnaires were also encouraging.