Couples and families worldwide have a constant electronic connection to
others, a fact that is influencing the concerns and issues they bring to
therapy. The authors of this resource help mental health practitioners to better
deal with concerns such as online infidelity, online dating, internet
addictions, cyber bulling, and many more by introducing the Couple and
Family Technology (CFT) framework, a multi-theoretical approach that
doesn’t require clinicians to change their preferred clinical approach.
 The
CFT framework acknowledges the ways in which couples navigate their relationship
with technology and a partner simultaneously, and it attends to, and in some
cases incorporates the role of technology in therapeutic ways. Included in the
authors’ discussion of how different technologies affect relationships is

• a survey of what individuals’ motivations of usage are
• an
examination of the specific issues that emerge in treatment
• a study of the
risks particularly relevant to intimate relationships, and
• an introduction
of the first-ever technology-based genogram.
They also examine technological
usage across different developmental points in a couple’s lifespan, with
attention given throughout to people from various cultural backgrounds.

Along with the CFT framework, the authors also introduce a new discipline of
family research: Couple and Family Technology. This discipline integrates three
broad perspectives in family science and helps therapists maintain a systemic
focus in assessing and treating couples where issues of the Internet and new
media are problematic. Online resources can be accessed by purchasers of the
book and include videos, additional case studies, glossary, and forms.