Gerald R. Weeks is an American author and lecturer. He has published 30 books on psychotherapy, which have been translated into multiple languages. He has published in the fields of individual, and family therapy, although he is best known for his work in sex and couple's therapy. Weeks is the founder of the Systems Approach to Sex Therapy as well as the founder of the Intersystem Approach to therapy which has been called one of the most ambitious efforts to develop an integrative approach to psychotherapy. He was a professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas from 1999-2017. In 2017, he became Professor Emeritus as he retired from UNLV.
Biography
Weeks is a native of North Carolina but has lived throughout the US working as a professor in major universities. He was born in Morehead, NC and currently resides in the Seattle area with his wife, Nancy.
He earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in both Clinical Psychology and Family Studies in 1979 from Georgia State University. At Georgia State University, he studied with Luciano L'Abate who is the founder of the field of family psychology and one of the most published psychologists in the world.
Professional career
Since 1979, Weeks has served in a number of professional positions including: Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina, Program Director at Council for Relationships, and later Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He also served as President of the American Board of Family Psychology in 1988 and 1989.
He was Professor and Chair for the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas from 1999-2013. In 2013, he became a professor in the program.
His development of the Intersystem Approach to therapy (see Weeks & Hof, 1994) has been one of his major achievements. It is a theoretical framework which combines individual, couple, and intergenerational factors in the diagnosis and treatment of individuals, couples, and families. Several books have been published demonstrating its application in couples and sex therapy. This theory is designed to fit the therapy to clients rather than forcing clients to conform to the therapist's theoretical framework.
The Intersystem Approach is an integrative and dialectical framework, that explores how individuals, couples, family systems and communities function in their relationships. it includes two constructs: (1) the attachment theory construct, and (2) the interactional construct. Gerald R. Weeks. Klaus F. Riegel asserted that development proceeds in four dimensions simultaneously: 1) inner-biological, 2) individual-psychological, 3) cultural-sociological, and 4) outer-physical. The approach uses genograms (a graphic representation of an intergenerational family tree that displays the interactions of families through multiple generations). Within genograms, clinicians can develop maps and timelines for each of the four domains, and an Internal Models Map (IMM).
Early in his career he was influential in the development of strategic therapy. His book on paradoxical psychotherapy was one of the top selling professional books in the field of psychotherapy.
In addition to being a professor and author of many advanced professional books, he has lectured and trained clinicians throughout the world. He began providing training to clinicians in Turkey in 2011 and today there are 2,000 therapists in the country who are practising his approach to couple and sex therapy.
Clinical background and experience
Weeks received his doctorate in psychology with specializations in both Clinical Psychology and Family Psychology (couple and family therapy). In fact, he was the second psychologist in the U.S. to receive a doctorate with a specialization in Family Psychology. His clinical mentor was Luciano L’Abate who is the founder of the field of Family Psychology. Further, Dr. Weeks holds every advanced certification and board certification one can obtain in the fields of couple and sex therapy: Clinical Fellow; Certified Sex Therapist and Supervisor; Diplomate (Board Certified), American Board of Sexology, American Board of Couple and Family Psychology.