Toxic Relationships and How to Change Them: Health and Holiness in Everyday Life

by Clinton W. McLemore

In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Clinton McLemore-- a leading expert on interpersonal relationships-- gives you a powerful roadmap for promoting healthy and productive relationships. Toxic Relationships draws extensively from psychological research and Christian theology and is filled with practical strategies you can use to create better communication at home and at work. You will learn how to increase appreciation, tenderness, respect, comfort, and understanding in all of your relationships by recognizing the eight basic "default styles" that most of us use to respond to others. By using biblical examples, Dr. McLemore shows how we can change our own destructive behavior and influence the behavior of others by understanding these eight toxic strategies:
Controlling Drifting Intruding Freeloading Humiliating Scurrying Victimizing Avoiding Create loving and healthy relationships using these proven methods for transforming toxic interactions with others.

Genres: Psychology

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Douglas Lord · Rating 2 out of 5]

McLemore, a former professor of clinical psychology and theology and at the time of the book's publication a consultant for Fortune 500 companies, argues for Christian faith as the singular vehicle for lasting health in interpersonal affairs. As in his earlier Street-Smart Ethics: Succeeding in Business Without Selling Your Soul, he admirably intertwines his disciplines to break down "toxic" relationships, that is, those that "pull you down rather than lift you up; they certainly don't help you move closer to God." Christian readers will especially find much to consider and learn, as the author explains and explores "toxic" behaviors (e.g., intruding, victimizing) as well as some countering methods, with biblical passages. Though there are secular self-help ideas at work here, removing them from the religious material would be like separating the peanut butter from the jelly. While fine for Christians (and perhaps notable given McLemore's fine publishing pedigree), also consider Jay Carter's Nasty People and Robert A. Glover's personable No More Mr Nice Guy.

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[Kaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

The character types are interesting, but the wide use of grids and arrows leave a person like me a bit bored.