Grounded in decades of research involving over three thousand couples, the book emphasizes that strong relationships are built on small, everyday interactions. It presents a seven-day action plan designed to enhance connection and communication by focusing on elements such as body language, conversation styles, and physiological responses. This practical guide aims to provide actionable insights to help couples deepen their bond and improve their emotional well-being.
What really makes a relationship work? How can we stay interested in our partner for ever? How can we be happier in our marriage? Doctors John and Julie Gottman have spent over three decades studying the habits of 3000 couples. Within 10 minutes of meeting a couple, they can predict who will stay happily together or who will split up, with 94% accuracy. Based on their findings, they have now created an easy series of eight dates - spanning commitment; trust; conflict; intimacy; sex; fun; work; money; and family values - that will lead to a happier, lasting love life. Eight Dates draws on rigorous scientific and psychological research about how we fall in love using case studies of real-life couples whose relationships have improved after committing time to each other and following the dates. Full of innovative exercises and conversation starters to explore ways to deepen each aspect of the relationship, Eight Dates is an essential resource that makes a relationship fulfilling.
From a leading couple therapist duo comes a practical guide to effective couples therapy. This book offers an inside look at their extensive experience in the field, distilled into ten core principles of successful couples work. Each principle is supported by clinical case studies and personal anecdotes, providing a rich context for understanding the complexities of relationships. Key topics include how to address the elusive nature of "the relationship," empathizing with clients who have conflicting viewpoints, and the implications of separation on perceived success. The authors explore the unique challenges of working with relationships compared to individual clients, including what to prioritize, the right questions to ask, and how to navigate differing client responses. Additionally, they discuss managing the emotional and personal histories that arise during therapy sessions and emphasize the importance of research-based practices. This insightful guide is essential for anyone involved in couples therapy, offering valuable strategies and guidance for navigating the intricacies of relationship dynamics.
"One of the foremost relationship experts at work today offers creative insight on building trust and avoiding betrayal, helping readers to decode the mysteries of healthy love and relationships"--
John Gottman has revolutionized the study of marriage by using rigorous scientific procedures to observe the habits of married couples in unprecedented detail over many years. Here is the culmination of his life's work: the seven principles that guide couples on the path toward a harmonious and long-lasting relationship. Packed with practical questionnaires and exercises, The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the definitive guide for anyone who wants their relationship to attain its highest potential.
While national awareness of the issue of battering has increased in recent years, certain myths regarding abusive relationships still endure, including the idea that all batterers are alike. After their decade of research with more than 200 couples, the authors conclude that not all batterers are alike, nor is the progression of their violence always predictable. But they have found that batterers tend to fall into one of two categories, which they call "Pit Bulls" and "Cobras." Pit Bulls, men whose emotions quickly boil over, are driven by deep insecurity and an unhealthy dependence on the mates whom they abuse. Cobras, on the other hand, are cool and methodical as they inflict pain and humiliation on their spouses or lovers. Cobras have often been physically or sexually abused themselves, frequently in childhood, and tend to see violence as an unavoidable part of life. Knowing which type a batterer is can be crucial to gauging whether an abusive relationship is salvageable (Pit Bulls can sometimes be helped through therapy) or whether the situation is beyond repair. Using the stories of several couples in their study, Jacobson and Gottman look at the dynamics of abusive relationships, refuting prevalent myths. Never underestimating the inherent risk or danger involved, the authors discuss how women in their study group prepared themselves to leave an abusive relationship, where a battered woman can get help, and how she can keep herself safe
Grounded in two decades of research, this book offers practical tools for evaluating and enhancing long-term relationships. Readers will discover their marital strengths and weaknesses, along with actionable strategies to improve their partnership. The author highlights common detrimental patterns that can lead to divorce, providing insights to help couples avoid these pitfalls. With a focus on proven methods, the book serves as a comprehensive guide for couples seeking to strengthen their bond and ensure lasting happiness.
America's Love Lab Experts Share Their Strategies for Strengthening Your Relationship
Focusing on practical strategies, the book offers scientifically backed tools to help couples restore affection and romance in their marriages. Drawing from their expertise as marital psychologists, the authors emphasize improving communication to overcome years of emotional distance. Each lesson is designed to empower couples to reconnect and strengthen their relationship.
Discusses a five-step program for parents to use when teaching their children to acknowledge and master their emotions.
A great "philosopher" once said, "Trying to understand women is like trying to smell the color 9." But the fact is, men can understand women to their great benefit. All they need is the right teacher. And arguably there is no better teacher than John Gottman, PhD, a world-renowned relationships researcher and author of the bestselling 7 principles of Making Marriage Work. His new book, written with wife Julie Gottman, a clinical psychologist, and Doug Abrams and Rachel Carlton Abrams, MD, is based on 40 years of scientific study, much of it gleaned from the Gottman's popular couple's workshops and the "love lab" at the University of Washington. It's written primarily for men because new research suggests that it is the man in a relationship who wields the most influence to make it great or screw it up beyond repair. The Man's Guide to Women offers the science-based answers to the question: What do women really want in a man? The book explains the hallmarks of manhood that most women find attractive, and helps men hone those skills to be the man she desires.
