Stephen A. Mitchell Books

The Tao Teh King (Tao Te Ching) forms the fundamental core of modern Taoist philosophy and has informed the beliefs and mode of life of the people of China for 2500 years. For all those who seek peace, contentment, harmony and balance in life, the Tao Teh King is an indispensable resource. Lao Tse's words speak directly to the heart with simple, direct and profound wisdom addressing the core principles of the art of living well.The translation and commentary presented here was completed between 1921 and 1923 and serialized in the periodical magazine The Theosophical Quarterly. The society responsible for the periodical was dissolved some fifteen years later, leaving this translation to lay dormant these many years. It is reproduced verbatim, but with an adjustment in formatting-providing the translation itself, in whole, prior to the commentary-the addition of a foreword, and of additional notes.Charles Johnston's article on the Religion of China, reproduced in this volume, demonstrates the depth of his understanding not only of Ancient China and its religious life, but of its place in the larger context of human religious thought. This wider contextual grasp lends itself to a much more expansive commentary upon the Tao Teh King than we commonly find, as Johnston is able to draw many parallels to other world-teachings, some of which the student may be more intimately familiar.

"Relationality" charts the emergence of the relational perspective in psychoanalysis by reviewing the contributions of Loewald, Fairbairn, Bowlby, and Sullivan, whose voices converge in apprehending the fundamental relationality of mind.

Hailed as the greatest modern lyrical poet of Germany, Rainer Maria Rilke's genius lies in his passion for perfection, artistic integrity and willingness to remain a perpetual beginner'. The verse contained in this selection ranges from the objective, naturalistic descriptions of his earliest works to the increasingly effusive outpourings of half-religious ecstasy and anguish that characterize his later poems and culminates in the overwhelmingly personal vision of the famous Duino Elegies' and `The Sonnets to Orpheus', in which his most intense experiences of living and being find their noblest expression.

A magnificent compilation of sacred writings from all traditions and the perfect companion to Stephen Mitchell's poetry collection,  The Enlightened Heart , and the bestselling  Tao Te Ching A collection of prose--discourses, sermons, essays, and aphorisms--includes texts and authors such as the Hindu, Confucian, and Buddhist sciptures, Heraclitus and Plato, Chuang-tzu, Jesus, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Symeon the New Theologian, the Chinese Zen masters, and others.

An anthology of poetry chosen from the world's great religious and literary traditions--the perfect companion to the bestselling Tao Te Ching.• The Upanishads • The Book of Psalms • Lao-tzu • The Bhagavad Gita • Chuang-tzu • The Odes of Solomon • Seng-ts'an • Han-shan • Li Po • Tu Fu • Layman P'ang • Kukai • Tung-shan • Symeon the New Theologian • Izumi Shikibu • Su Tung-p'o • Hildegard of Bingen • Francis of Assisi • Wu-men • Dõgen • Rumi • Mechthild of Magdeburg • Dante • Kabir Mirabai • William Shakespeare • George Herbert • Bunan • Gensei • Angelus Silesius • Thomas Traherne • Basho • William Blake • Ryõkan • Issa • Ghalib • Bibi Hayati • Wait Whitman • Emily Dickinson • Gerard Manley Hopkins • Uvavnuk • Anonymous Navaho • W. B. Yeats • Antonio Machado • Rainer Maria Rilke • Wallace Stevens • D.H. Lawrence • Robinson Jeffers •

This collection uniquely blends Buddhist, Christian, and Taoist koans, offering a broader spiritual perspective. It features classic Buddhist koans from renowned texts alongside Christian insights from Angelus Silesius and Taoist wisdom from the Tao Te Ching. The probing questions challenge readers' understanding, while the insightful commentaries enhance the experience, revealing profound truths with humor and subtlety. This anthology promises to engage both the mind and spirit, making it a significant contribution to spiritual literature.

Though the emperor banishes the nightingale in preference of a jeweled mechanical imitation, the little bird remains faithful and returns years later when the emperor is near death and no one else can help him.

"In The way of forgiveness, the distinguished writer and translator Stephen Mitchell provides a stirring account of the power of forgiveness. Based on the biblical story of Joseph and his brothers--a brilliant, arrogant young man is sold into slavery and eventually rises to become viceroy of Egypt--The way of forgiveness is a riveting expansion, lush with vivid characters and captivating sense of place. What's new here is the lyrical, witty prose, informed by a wisdom that brings fresh insight to this foundational legend of betrayal and all-embracing forgiveness. This paperback edition of Joseph and the way of forgiveness will capture the hearts and minds of modern readers and show them that this ancient story can still challenge, delight, and astonish"--Back cover

Inspired by the Tao Te Ching, this is Byron Katie's inspiring and pragmatic approach to achieving an awakened mind and living more simply and profoundly. This questioning takes courage and, in this her third book, she gives readers profound encouragement by showing them the freedom and love that live on the other side of self-inquiry.

This 40th anniversary edition of Albert Lord's classic work includes a unique a CD containing the original audio recordings of all the passages of heroic songs quoted in the book; a video publication of the kinescopic filming of the most valued of the singers; and selected photographs taken during Milman Parry's collecting trips in the Balkans. Parry began recording and studying a live tradition of oral narrative poetry in order to find an answer to the age-old Homeric How had the author of the Iliad and Odyssey composed these two monumental epic poems at the very start of Europe's literary tradition? Parry's, and with him Lord's, enduring contribution--set forth in Lord's The Singer of Tales --was to demonstrate the process by which oral poets compose. Now reissued with a new Introduction and an invaluable audio and visual record, this widely influential book is newly enriched to better serve everyone interested in the art and craft of oral literature.

The story explores the deep bond between Gilgamesh, a powerful leader, and Enkidu, a wild man created by the Gods to temper Gilgamesh's arrogance. After being civilized by a temple prostitute, Enkidu joins Gilgamesh, and together they confront various evils, showcasing themes of friendship, the struggle against hubris, and the quest for immortality. Their adventures highlight the transformative power of companionship and the balance between civilization and nature.

Freud's concepts have become a part of our psychological unconscious thoughts and feelings, conflict, the meaning of dreams, the sensuality of childhood. But psychoanalytic thinking has undergone an enormous expansion and transformation over the past fifty years. With Freud and Beyond, Stephen A. Mitchell and Margaret J. Black make contemporary psychoanalytic thinking—the body of work that has been done since Freud—available for the first time. Richly illustrated with case examples, this lively, jargon-free introduction makes modern psychoanalytic thought accessible at last.

Christian innovation is a topic that has emerged for congregations, community leaders, and aspiring faith-rooted entrepreneurs. But what does it really mean to innovate as a Christian? Why does it even matter? In this book, learn a six-step approach to Christian innovation grounded in the life and ministry of Jesus, and African diasporic people's ingenious experiences: what the authors' communities call making a way out of no way. Journey with Stephen Lewis and Kimberly R. Daniel to encounter stories from diverse experiences, reflect theologically and explore ideas and practices for Christian innovation to create a more just world.

Bringing Byron Katie's revolutionary process called "The Work," a grassroots phenomenon, to a mainstream audience who has embraced it, this paperback edition will introduce countless more readers to the four questions that have already transformed thousands of lives.

Somebody comes into the Zen center with a lighted cigarette, walks up to the Buddha statue, blows smoke in its face, and drops ashes on its lap. You are standing there. What can you do? This is a problem that Zen Master Seung Sahn is fond of posing to his American students who attend his Zen centers. Dropping Ashes on the Buddha is a delightful, irreverent, and often hilariously funny living record of the dialogue between Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn and his American students. Consisting of dialogues, stories, formal Zen interviews, Dharma speeches, and letters using the Zen Master's actual words in spontaneous, living interaction with his students, this book is a fresh presentation of the Zen teaching method of instant dialogue between Master and student which, through the use of astonishment and paradox, leads to an understanding of ultimate reality.

'Very illuminating...on the cutting edge of current biological research' Jon Kabat-Zinn In A Mind At Home With Itself (her first full-length book since 2007), Byron Katie explains that emotions such as sadness, anger and resentment come from believing our stressful thoughts. When we learn to question the thoughts, they lose their power. And when this happens, our minds are free to turn towards others, and ourselves, with a spirit of generosity. Byron Katie gives approximately 25 hugely popular workshops every year, all over the world. In addition she speaks at such organisations as Facebook and Stanford University and is also involved with a programme for cancer patients. Charismatic and compassionate, there's good reason why The Times has called her events 'riveting', and Time magazine has named her 'a spiritual innovator for the new milennium'.

Robert Fagles's stunning modern-verse translation-available at last in our black-spine classics line A Penguin Classic The Odyssey is literature's grandest evocation of everyman's journey through life. In the myths and legends that are retold here, renowned translator Robert Fagles has captured the energy and poetry of Homer's original in a bold, contemporary idiom and given us an Odyssey to read aloud, to savor, and to treasure for its sheer lyrical mastery. This is an Odyssey to delight both the classicist and the general reader, and to captivate a new generation of Homer's students. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Common wisdom has it that love is fragile, but leading psychoanalyst Stephen A. Mitchell argues that romance doesn't actually diminish in long-term relationships—it becomes increasingly dangerous. What we regard as the transience of love is really risk management. Mitchell shows that love can endure, if only we become aware of our self-destructive efforts to protect ourselves from its risks. "Those who read this book will love more wisely because of it."—Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon "[A] work on romance that is rich and multi-layered."—Publishers Weekly "Cheerful, open, and humane—you'd definitely have wanted him as your analyst."—Judith Shulevitz, The New York Times Book Review "[T]houghtful, compassionate, and profoundly optimistic."—JoAnn Gutin, Salon.com

For over 35 years, the dominant histories of the American West have been narratives of horrific conflicts. As dark and as bloody as western grounds have often been however, there were also important episodes of concord, instances of barriers breached, accords reached, and of people overcoming their differences as opposed to being overcome by them. Peace and Friendship highlights the instances of cohabitation, deepening our understanding of how the West came to be: through colonization, violence, misunderstanding, and, surprisingly, at times, peace.

“I love The First Christmas. What a charming way Stephen Mitchell has found to tell my favorite story of all, the Nativity, character by character (I love the donkey and the ox), with wise and thrilling interludes about God, reality, truth.” –Anne Lamott In The First Christmas, Stephen Mitchell brings the Nativity story to vivid life as never before. A narrative that is only sketched out in two Gospels becomes fully realized here with nuanced characters and a setting that reflects the culture of the time. Mitchell has suffused the birth of Jesus with a sense of beauty that will delight and astonish readers. In this version, we see the world through the eyes of a Whitmanesque ox and a visionary donkey, starry-eyed shepherds and Zen-like wise men, each of them providing a unique perspective on a scene that is, in Western culture, the central symbol for good tidings of great joy. Rather than superimposing later Christian concepts onto the Annunciation and Nativity scenes, he imagines Mary and Joseph experiencing the angelic message as a young Jewish woman and man living in the year 4 bce might have experienced it, with terror, dismay, and ultimate acceptance. In this context, their yes becomes an act of great moral courage. Readers of every background will be enchanted by this startlingly beautiful reimagining of the Christmas tale.

This comprehensive historical account delves into the Later Roman Empire, offering insights based on the latest scholarly research. It explores the political, social, and cultural dynamics of the period, highlighting key events and figures that shaped the empire's evolution. The narrative emphasizes the complexities of governance, military challenges, and the interplay of various cultures, providing a nuanced understanding of this transformative era in history.

A history of the post-war era of this iconic British car manufacturer, written by the owners club historian.

"These volumes outline critical elements learned from Scandinavian philology, folkloristics, archaeology, memory studies, and ethnography that provide not only an overview of the medieval Scandinavian world but also original arguments and interpretations that advance scholarly discussion in these areas"--

Explore the forces and movements shaping contemporary Mexican politics and society In Mexico’s Unscripted Political and Social Change Since 1958 , distinguished historian Stephen Lewis offers a well-argued―and provocative―presentation of Mexico’s recent “unofficial” grassroots revolutions. The book explores generational change and youthful rebellion in the 1960s and the emergence of second-wave feminism in the 1970s. It also discusses Mexico’s uniquely protracted democratic transition, initiated by the hegemonic Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) but pushed forward at critical moments by ordinary citizens, opposition parties, and even armed insurgencies. In clear, accessible prose, the author argues that persistent inequality and authoritarian practices have hobbled Mexico’s democratic consolidation since 2000. He also provides coverage of the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024), who promised peaceful revolution but seemed nostalgic for a return to Mexico’s populist, authoritarian past. Readers will also Perfect for undergraduate students studying Mexican and Latin American history and politics, Mexico’s Unscripted Political and Social Change Since 1958 will also benefit students in Latin American Studies, political science, anthropology, religious studies, and women’s studies and laypersons with an interest in contemporary Mexico.

Stephen Mitchell is widely known for his ability to make ancient masterpieces thrillingly new, to step in where many have tried before and create versions that are definitive for our time. His celebrated version of the Tao Te Ching is the most popular edition in print, and his translations of Jesus, Rilke, Genesis, and Job have won the hearts of readers and critics alike. Stephen Mitchell now brings to the Bhagavad Gita his gift for breathing new life into sacred texts. The Bhagavad Gita is universally acknowledged as one of the world's literary and spiritual masterpieces. It is the core text of the Hindu tradition and has been treasured by American writers from Emerson and Thoreau to T. S. Eliot, who called it the greatest philosophical poem after the Divine Comedy. There have been more than two hundred English translations of the Gita, including many competent literal versions, but not one of them is a superlative literary text in its own right. Now all that has changed. Stephen Mitchell's Bhagavad Gita sings with the clarity, the vigor, and the intensity of the original Sanskrit. It will, as William Arrowsmith said of Mitchell's translation of The Sonnets to Orpheus, "instantly make every other rendering obsolete."

Un libro per sostituire il dolore con la gioia e il sorriso, trasformare la depressione in leggerezza, ritrovare la libertà, arrivare a comprensioni nuove e profonde sulla vita. Byron Katie pone quattro domande che, applicate a un problema specifico, consentono di vederlo sotto una luce completamente diversa, e offre un efficace processo di indagine chiamato "II Lavoro" (The Work), impiegato da persone di ogni età e formazione, grazie al quale si può scoprire come anche le convinzioni più stressanti riguardo la vita, gli altri o se stessi possono mutare radicalmente, mentre l'esistenza si trasforma positivamente in modo irreversibile. Attraverso questo processo, chiunque può imparare a risalire alle radici dell'infelicità per sradicarla definitivamente. "Amare ciò che è" non solo mostra che tutti i problemi hanno origine nei propri pensieri, ma offre anche lo strumento per aprire la mente e ritrovare la libertà.

“Byron Katie’nin çalışmaları keskin bir kılıç gibi yanlışları kesiyor ve varlığınızın özünü bilmenizi sağlıyor. – Eckhart Tolle, Şimdi’nin Gücü kitabının yazarı “Byron Katie, günümüzün gerçekten önemli ve ilham veren öğretmenlerinden biridir. Herkesin bu olağanüstü kitaba kendini kaptırmasını öneriyorum.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer “Olanı Sevmek” kitabında Byron Katie acıların onları yaratan stresli düşünceleri sorgulayarak nasıl sona erdirilebileceğini gösterdi. Şimdi, Neşenin Bin Adı ile bizleri, sorgulamanın diğer tarafında yaşayan özgürlüğü keşfetmemiz için yüreklendiriyor.” “Stephen Mitchell –Tao Te Ching’in tanınmış yazarı– Byron Katie’nin hepimizin karşısına çıkacak en önemli konular hakkında konuşması için kadim metinden uyarıcı alıntılar seçti: yaşam ve ölüm, iyi ve kötü, sevgi, çalışmak ve tatmin. Byron Katie, her koşulda tamamıyla rahat olan hikyeleriyle uyanmış zihni tanımlamanın da ötesinde onu görmenizi, hissetmenizi, harekete geçirmenizi sağlıyor.” “BYRON KATIE, dünyanın dört bir yanındaki milyonlarca insana kendi kendini sorgulamanın basit ama güçlü yöntemini tanıtmıştır.” www.TheWork.com

Als prominenter Vertreter der Interpersonalen Psychoanalyse beschäftigt sich Stephen Mitchell eingehend mit den verschiedenen Aspekten therapeutischen Handelns in der Psychoanalyse, wie Anonymität und Neutralität und dem Wesen analytischen Wissens und Autorität. Er erläutert eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Arten, über die interaktive Natur der psychoanalytischen Situation nachzudenken, und regt zur weiteren Reflexion an. 'Mir scheint, dass Mitchells herausragende Beiträge zur Psychoanalyse in diesem ungemein wichtigen Buch ihren Gipfelpunkt erreicht haben. [Es]ist ein wundervoll inhaltsreiches und auch recht mutiges Buch, das uns zeigt, wo wir heute in der Psychoanalyse stehen und in welche Richtung wir weitergehen müssen.' Owen Renik, M. D., San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute

Zelfhulpboek om de realiteit onder ogen te zien door het beantwoorden van vier essentiële vragen.

Das Gilgamesch-Epos ist die älteste schriftlich überlieferte Geschichte der Welt. Es berichtet von dem grausamen Tyrannen Gilgamesch, König von Uruk, der durch Kampf und die Erfahrung der Grenzen seiner menschlichen Existenz zu sich selbst findet und schließlich zum gerechten König wird. Diese klassische Heldenfahrt spiegelt archetypisch die Suche des Menschen nach seinem Selbst wider, das allein ihm angesichts seiner Sterblichkeit die Ewigkeit garantiert. In seiner spannenden Neuübertragung präsentiert Mitchell das Gilgamesch-Epos in einer lebendigen, bildgewaltigen Sprache.

Ausgehend von der Objektbeziehungstheorie Fairbairns, der Bindungstheorie Bowlbys sowie den Arbeiten Loewalds und Sullivans bricht Stephen Mitchell in eine neue Ära der psychoanalytischen Betrachtung intersubjektiver Beziehungen auf. Dabei gelingt ihm nicht nur eine kritische Synthese der Verbindungselemente einzelner relevanter Ansätze innerhalb der Psychoanalyse, sondern auch deren Weiterentwicklung mittels eigener theoretischer Überlegungen. In lebendiger und mitreißender Sprache nimmt Mitchell seine Leser*innen auf eine Reise durch das Labyrinth der intersubjektiven und objektbeziehungstheoretischen Modelle der Psychoanalyse mit, die – untermalt von Vignetten aus der klinischen Praxis – vor brillanten Ideen sprüht.

Zelfhulpboek om de realiteit onder ogen te zien door het beantwoorden van vier essentiële vragen.

Zelfhulpboek om de realiteit onder ogen te zien door het beantwoorden van vier essentiële vragen.

Kniha je zbierkou učenia Seung Sahna Soen Sa Nima v Amerike, zbierkou dialógov, príbehov, formálnych zenových rozhovorov, rečí dharmy a listov. Slová vznikajú, keď vznikajú situácie. Každá situácia je hrou a zároveň otázkou života a smrti.

Zenový kompas je jednoduchou, jasnou a mnohdy humornou ukázkou základního učení hlavních buddhistických tradic (kulminujících v zenu) přednesenou jedním z nejoblíbenějších zenových mistrů 20. století. Takto je zenový mistr Seungh Sahn podával v průběhu mnoha let po celém světě. Stal se známým díky své jedinečné schopnosti proniknout do jádra buddhistického učení způsobem, který je mimořádně jasný, a nesklouzávat přitom k esoterickým nebo akademickým výrazům. V této knize, která vychází z jeho promluv, představuje základní učení buddhismu způsobem, který je nesmírně obohacující a zároveň snadno přístupný jak pro začátečníky, tak pro mnohaleté studenty.

Vztahová psychoanalýza je prvním sborníkem významných prací autorek a autorů, z jejichž pojetí se během posledních dvou desetiletí zrodila výrazná tradice americké psychoanalýzy. Je odklonem od klasické psychoanalytické teorie, jejíž základy tvoří Freudova pudová teorie, směrem k modelům myšlení a vývoje, založeným na pojetí objektních vztahů. Rovněž v klinické praxi dochází k obdobnému vývoji, který směřuje od klasických zásad neutrality, abstinence a anonymity k interaktivní vizi analytické situace, jež staví do popředí analytický vztah. Tento vývoj lze vysledovat prakticky ve všech školách psychoanalýzy v USA od tradičních institucí k těm nejradikálnějším. Zdrojem těchto inovací je práce skupiny psychoanalytiků, kteří usilují o integraci stránek interpersonální psychoanalýzy, různých teorií objektních vztahů pocházejících z Velké Británie a psychoanalytického feminismu. Ačkoli se nedeklarovali jako samostatná škola, vytvořili tito teoretici výraznou tradici psychoanalytického myšlen

Druhý svazek českého překladu vztahové psychoanalýzy představuje sborník významných prací, které formovaly tradici americké psychoanalýzy v posledních dvaceti letech. Obsahuje příspěvky z let 1991-1994, které kombinují teoretické koncepce s klinickými příklady. Vývoj vztahové tradice se odráží v analýzách pacientovy interpretace analytikovy zkušenosti a subjektivity, což podtrhuje důležitost osobního vztahu v analytické situaci. Dále se zaměřuje na klinické studie disociace a přenosu u dospělých obětí sexuálního zneužívání v dětství, a na pojetí pohlavní příslušnosti jako komplexní a dynamické kategorie. Příspěvky ilustrují vyjednávání paradoxu v analytickém procesu a rozlišení tří říší nevědomí, které objasňují rozdíly mezi psychickou strukturou a obsahem. Zaznamenávají také, jak konflikt a trauma ovlivňují duševní život a mohou vést k disociativním stavům. Důraz je kladen na neredukovatelnost subjektivity analytika a postavení psychoanalýzy v širším kontextu. Každý příspěvek je doplněn úvodním slovem editorů a doslovem autora, který reflektuje další vývoj jeho myšlení.

V této pozoruhodné knize Stephen Mitchell velmi odvážně rozšiřuje formu klasické pohádky, přičemž klade důraz na etické poselství transcendentní povahy lásky. Princ Žabák je příběh o lásce zádumčivého žabáka k vzdorovité a trochu pyšné princezně, která se zamilovala proti své vůli, ale její nekompromisnost jí pomohla stát se tou, která ve skutečnosti byla. Mitchellova pohádka je půvabná kniha, která se obojživelně pohybuje od příběhu k meditaci a zpět, od hrubosti k jemným nuancím, od pošetilosti k vznešeným myšlenkám. Dojemný příběh o Žabákovi a jeho cestě k lidské podobě je plný překvapení a odvíjí se jako sen, jenž vybízí k zamyšlení, otevírá srdce a nastavuje zrcadlo duši vnímavého čtenáře.

Len štyri vhodne položené otázky stačia na to, aby ste vyriešili takmer každú situáciu, ktorá vás trápi. Autorka Byron Katie sa o tom presviedča už niekoľko rokov od momentu, keď objavila jedinečnú metódu skúmania vlastných myšlienok. Nazvala ju jednoducho – Práca. V knihe Milovať to, čo je vás Byron Katie postupne prevedie celým procesom metódy Práca: od rozpoznania situácie, ktorá vás trápi, cez presné sformulovanie kritických tvrdení o príčine, ktorá podľa vás túto situáciu spôsobuje, až po objavenie skutočného dôvodu vášho trápenia. Byron Katie vás pritom nenúti vzdať sa svojich názorov či presvedčení, práve naopak – využíva ich pri odhaľovaní pravdy, ktorá vás oslobodí.

13 zásadních konfliktů, které musí rodiče vyřešit, aby si udrželi pevný vztah. Knih o rodičovství existuje nepřeberné množství, stejně jako příruček o vztazích. Ale co se s romantickým vztahem děje v situaci, kdy se partneři stanou zároveň rodiči? Narození dětí promění partnerský vztah v mnoha směrech – únava, pracovní vytížení, nikdy nekončící péče o děti a domácnost, nevyspání a stres často přispívají k tomu, že spolu partneři nedokážou komunikovat jako dřív a uvíznou v kolotoči nikam nevedoucích hádek. Erin a Stephen Mitchellovi, manželská dvojice se třemi dětmi a více než dvacetiletou terapeutickou praxí, vysvětlují, proč tomu tak je, a ukazují, že konflikty samy o sobě nejsou špatné, naopak když se vezmou za správný konec, mohou vzájemné pouto mezi partnery ještě posílit. Ve své knize popisují 13 nejtypičtějších konfliktů (např. „Já jsem unavenější než ty“, „Snad vím, jak vychovávat vlastní děti“, „Tvá rodina je pro tebe důležitější než naše“ nebo „Sexuální život? Jaký sexuální život?“) a na příkladu vlastní zkušenosti i poradenského sezení s modelovým párem představují konkrétní nástroje, postupy a strategie, které čtenáři pomohou využít daný konflikt k uzdravení a posílení vztahu.

Prosím vás, aby ste sa zamysleli nad slovami hádka a konflikt. Čo pre vás hádka znamená? Čo vám napadne ako prvé? Aká je vaša reakcia, keď musíte čeliť hádke? Rodičovstvo zásadným spôsobom zmení partnerský vzťah, no väčšina rodičov je príliš vyčerpaná z každodennej rutiny, aby sa zaoberali tým, ako ich vzťah vyzerá. To vedie k opakovaným hádkam, konfliktom a k prehlbujúcemu sa pocitu úzkosti, hnevu, zranenia či osamelosti – práve vtedy, keď človek potrebuje partnerovu podporu azda najviac. Dobrá správa je, že konflikty sú v skutočnosti znakom toho, že sa snažíme priblížiť tomu druhému, len sme uviazli v nepríjemnom komunikačnom vzorci. Poradenskí psychológovia Erin a Stephen Mitchellovci vás v knihe Od konfliktu k blízkosti prevedú trinástimi partnerskými konfliktmi, ktoré sú nielen bežné, ale dokonca nevyhnutné na to, aby ste si udržali pevný vzťah. V každej situácii ukazujú, ako konflikt vyzerá v praxi, a ponúkajú scenáre a otázky na zamyslenie, ktoré môžu partneri využiť v reálnom čase, aby posilnili vzájomnú blízkosť a porozumenie. Cieľom je vyjadriť svoje pocity a aktívne počúvať toho druhého, aby spoločne zvládli krásnu, ale aj náročnú cestu rodičovstvom. Výsledkom je šťastnejší a zdravší vzťah.