This chapter explores how a love researcher goes from having a conception or even a theory of love to actually constructing a love scale. A love scale provides a way to test the validity of a theory. A love scale enables couples to assess one aspect of their compatibility. A love scale provides individuals and couples an opportunity to enhance their love relationships. The one important thing to remember is that as measuring instruments love scales are far from perfect. Love scales are no different from scales for measuring intelligence or personality. An investigator might simultaneously measure intimacy with the intimacy subscale of the Triangular Love Scale and observe a couple in interaction, looking for behaviors signifying trust, caring, compassion, and communication. No scientist today believes that it is possible to capture the entire phenomenon of love through scientific study or through scales that are geared to measure love.

The purpose of the orienting to present reality (OPR) exercise is to help clients with a dissociative disorder, or help dissociative symptoms work with their ego state system to begin to experience present time and place. This generally enhances feelings of reality and security for the system as well as their sense of appropriate caring and protection by the adult client. The OPR Protocol is done in three steps: getting to know the ego state(s), using the workplace, and comparison between the present and the past. Generally, OPR will need to be repeated many times during treatment, since parts may appear who need orientation or reorientation during any phase in the therapy. This includes times during eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) trauma processing when a disoriented part(s) may appear.

A woman institutionalized in a nursing home was praising her nurse, describing her as gentle and warm, caring and considerate. Caregivers, families, and individuals can forge powerful bonds. To function effectively, caregivers will have to demonstrate sensitivity; sensitivity to the individual is paramount. They will need to be sensitive to the constraints and nature of their own roles. In all, there are seven sensitivities that the most effective caretakers manifest: Sensitivity to the whole person, Sensitivity to the problem of pain and discomfort, Sensitivity to honest, open, and mutual communication, Sensitivity to the individual’s autonomy, Sensitivity to the individual’s needs, Sensitivity to cultural differences, and Sensitivity to treatment goals. This chapter addresses these seven sensitivities of effective care giving. It puts these sensitivities at the center of any care giving role whether for the physician, the health aide, the counselor, the nurse, the chaplain, or the social worker.