Diana Kirschner
Encyclopedia
Diana Adile Kirschner is an American psychologist
and author
. Early in her career she was involved in the field of integrative psychotherapy
, a movement that seeks to find the best practices from among the major schools of therapy. Kirschner's work involved integrating individual therapy, couples therapy, and family therapy
into an approach called Comprehensive Family Therapy. The book she coauthored, Comprehensive Family Therapy, was nominated by the American Psychological Association
as one of the 100 most important books on family psychology.
Kirschner was a founding member of the editorial board and contributor to the Journal of Couples Therapy. She was also a founding faculty member and director of the Pennsylvania-based Institute for Comprehensive Family Therapy, a non-profit, postgraduate mental health training and treatment center whose certificate program in marriage and family therapy was accredited by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.
controversy. Cummings and Davies reported similar results.
Kirschner also hypothesized the existence of common characteristics among relationally healthy or highly satisfied couples. She interpreted Tolstoy's opening line from Anna Karenina
, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way" as an observation that happy couples and families share characteristics. Kirschner asserted that relational success derived from a commitment by the spouses to help each other grow and develop. Experiments showed that high-satisfaction couples enjoyed spending time alone more than couples reporting medium or low relational satisfaction. Kirschner also found that successful couples and families learned to handle conflicts skillfully to prevent lingering resentment. Two decades of empirical research summarized by Gottman and Silver (1999), Olson and Flowers (over 6,000 couples studied, 1993) and a metanalysis by Bradbury, Fincham, and Beach (2000) have validated Kirschner's ideas and confirmed the relational importance of commitment, conflict resolution skills, desire to spend time with each other, sexual fidelity, and lack of violence.
Kirschner's 2011 work, Sealing the Deal, discusses the influence that partners in a relationship can have on each other. Specifically, that "...affirmation from one partner to the target partner increases the target’s belief that his partner understands and approves of him and genuinely cares about his growth and fulfillment." Kirschner's theory of mutual influence has been borne out by the work of other psychologists, and has been termed "the Michelangelo phenomenon
."
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Early in her career she was involved in the field of integrative psychotherapy
Integrative Psychotherapy
Integrative psychotherapy may involve the fusion of different schools of psychotherapy. The word 'integrative' in Integrative psychotherapy may also refer to integrating the personality and making it cohesive, and to the bringing together of the "affective, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological...
, a movement that seeks to find the best practices from among the major schools of therapy. Kirschner's work involved integrating individual therapy, couples therapy, and family therapy
Family therapy
Family therapy, also referred to as couple and family therapy, family systems therapy, and family counseling, is a branch of psychotherapy that works with families and couples in intimate relationships to nurture change and development. It tends to view change in terms of the systems of...
into an approach called Comprehensive Family Therapy. The book she coauthored, Comprehensive Family Therapy, was nominated by the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
as one of the 100 most important books on family psychology.
Work
Kirschner has written extensively on psychotherapy integration, couples and family therapy, the treatment of sexual abuse, and the role of psychologists in family-owned businesses and the media. Her chapter on Comprehensive Family Therapy was included in the two-volume survey and history of the field, Voices in Family Psychology. Various texts on integrative psychotherapy have included Kirschner's work on treating couples and families, the process of change, the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder in incest survivors in the context of family dysfunction, and the treatment of difficult children.Kirschner was a founding member of the editorial board and contributor to the Journal of Couples Therapy. She was also a founding faculty member and director of the Pennsylvania-based Institute for Comprehensive Family Therapy, a non-profit, postgraduate mental health training and treatment center whose certificate program in marriage and family therapy was accredited by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.
Major contributions
A past focus of Kirschner's research has been the impact of the marital relationship on children's functioning and the common underlying characteristics of healthy marriages. Kirschner hypothesized the existence of a set of critical variables impacting childrens' well-being and social functioning, as well as the existence of a link between the quality of the marital relationship and everyday marital conflict and the way the spouses reared the child. Recent studies have validated this correlation. In a 2002 study of over 2,500 married parents with a child under 18 living at home, researchers found that marital conflict had a direct impact on children's problems, was related to more frequent use of harsh discipline, and increased the level of conflict between parents and adolescents. Kirschner's findings regarding the impact of marital conflict on children's adjustment are relevant to the "nature vs. nurture"Nature versus nurture
The nature versus nurture debate concerns the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities versus personal experiences The nature versus nurture debate concerns the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities ("nature," i.e. nativism, or innatism) versus personal experiences...
controversy. Cummings and Davies reported similar results.
Kirschner also hypothesized the existence of common characteristics among relationally healthy or highly satisfied couples. She interpreted Tolstoy's opening line from Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina is a novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, published in serial installments from 1873 to 1877 in the periodical The Russian Messenger...
, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way" as an observation that happy couples and families share characteristics. Kirschner asserted that relational success derived from a commitment by the spouses to help each other grow and develop. Experiments showed that high-satisfaction couples enjoyed spending time alone more than couples reporting medium or low relational satisfaction. Kirschner also found that successful couples and families learned to handle conflicts skillfully to prevent lingering resentment. Two decades of empirical research summarized by Gottman and Silver (1999), Olson and Flowers (over 6,000 couples studied, 1993) and a metanalysis by Bradbury, Fincham, and Beach (2000) have validated Kirschner's ideas and confirmed the relational importance of commitment, conflict resolution skills, desire to spend time with each other, sexual fidelity, and lack of violence.
Kirschner's 2011 work, Sealing the Deal, discusses the influence that partners in a relationship can have on each other. Specifically, that "...affirmation from one partner to the target partner increases the target’s belief that his partner understands and approves of him and genuinely cares about his growth and fulfillment." Kirschner's theory of mutual influence has been borne out by the work of other psychologists, and has been termed "the Michelangelo phenomenon
Michelangelo phenomenon
The Michelangelo phenomenon is a phenomenon observed by psychologists in which interdependent individuals influence and "sculpt" each other. Over time, the Michelangelo effect causes individuals to develop toward what they themselves consider as their "ideal selves."For example, in a close...
."
Current work
Kirschner was co-editor of the American Psychological Association’s first book devoted to psychology and the media. She focused on the impact of violence in the media on children; gender discrimination and ageism in television and other media; as well as on the roles psychologists play in the mass media. Kirschner also stars in Finding Your Own True Love, a PBS pledge special devoted to love and dating. She appears regularly on The Today Show as a guest psychologist.Publications
- Kirschner, D.A. & Kirschner, S. (1986). Comprehensive Family Therapy. New York: Brunner-Mazel. ISBN 0-87630-403-X.
- Kirschner, S., Kirschner, D.A. & Rappaport, R.L. (1993). Working with Adult Incest Survivors: The Healing Journey. New York: Brunner-Mazel. ISBN 0-87630-691-1.
- Kirschner, S. & Kirschner, D.A. (Eds.) (1997). Perspectives on Psychology and the Media. Washington: American Psychological Association. ISBN 1-55798-433-6.
- Kirschner, D. A. (2004). Opening Love’s Door: The Seven Lessons. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse. ISBN 0-595-33386-9.
- Kirschner, D. (2005). The Ultimate Guide to Getting the Love You Want. Amazon Shorts. ASIN B000BO0M30.
- Kirschner, D.A. (2009). Love in 90 Days: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Own True Love. New York: Center Street, Hachette Book Group. ISBN 1-59995-122-3.
- Kirschner, D.A. (2011). Sealing the Deal: The Love Mentor's Guide to Lasting Love. New York: Center Street, Hachette Book Group. ISBN 1-59995-120-7.
See also
- Integrative psychotherapyIntegrative PsychotherapyIntegrative psychotherapy may involve the fusion of different schools of psychotherapy. The word 'integrative' in Integrative psychotherapy may also refer to integrating the personality and making it cohesive, and to the bringing together of the "affective, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological...
- Family therapyFamily therapyFamily therapy, also referred to as couple and family therapy, family systems therapy, and family counseling, is a branch of psychotherapy that works with families and couples in intimate relationships to nurture change and development. It tends to view change in terms of the systems of...
- Michelangelo phenomenonMichelangelo phenomenonThe Michelangelo phenomenon is a phenomenon observed by psychologists in which interdependent individuals influence and "sculpt" each other. Over time, the Michelangelo effect causes individuals to develop toward what they themselves consider as their "ideal selves."For example, in a close...
- Martin BuberMartin BuberMartin Buber was an Austrian-born Jewish philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of religious existentialism centered on the distinction between the I-Thou relationship and the I-It relationship....
- Media psychologyMedia PsychologyMedia Psychology seeks an understanding of how people perceive, interpret, use, and respond to a media-rich world. In doing so, media psychologists can identify potential benefits and problems and promote the development of positive media ....