Crucible® Therapy is a multi-systemic approach developed by Dr. David Schnarch that adapts and expands on the Bowenian concepts of differentiation and fusion for the treatment of sexual and relationship problems. First published in the early 1990’s, Crucible® Therapy is widely acknowledged as the first of the “marital” or long term committed relationship therapies to integrate sex and “marital” therapy in one approach. It is multi systemic in its integration of the dynamics related to sexual and non-sexual relationship interactions,  use of intra- and inter-personal dynamics, historical and here-and-now factors including abuse and trauma, as well as brain based behavioral problems. This approach emphasizes developing anxiety tolerance in the ongoing challenge that accompanies the effort needed to create and sustain an intimate committed relationship.  Crucible® therapy focuses on what must be confronted in order to develop a solid sense of oneself in close proximity to significant others, especially when pressured to conform. The therapist applies pressure to the system by naming the fusion and poor differentiation that clients engage in. This “crucible” then creates the conditions needed for substantial change in the functioning of the individuals in their ongoing significant relationships. The Crucible® therapist creates a therapeutic environment; i.e. a non-reactive container, the “crucible”, that both applies and contains the pressure on the system to change for the better and supports it through the inevitable difficulties of self confrontation. Dr. David Schnarch’s original book, “Constructing the Sexual Crucible®” (1991) describes the fundamental concepts in this approach to therapy. He then addressed couples directly from this perspective in three additional publications: “Passionate Marriage” (1997), “Resurrecting Sex” (2002) and “Intimacy and Desire” (2009). Dr. Schnarch’s last book, “Brain Talk” (2018) expanded the application of his approach to the neurobiological factors that underly relational challenges.