The Power of Two Workbook: Communication Skills for a Strong & Loving Marriage

by Susan Heitler

This book is a step-by-step guide for couples who want to enhance their communication skills and maximize their relationship's potential for mutual support and growth. Learn to speak your mind in a way that your partner will hear with interest. not with antagonism. Hear your partner without becoming defensive. Aim for "win-win" communication every time. Find out how to clean up after inadvertent "toxic spills." Exercises help you learn to keep anger ceilings low, and to convert moments of anger into powerful opportunities for learning and growth. In this hands-on workbook, readers learn to speak their minds in ways that will allow their spouse to hear them with interest, not antagonism, and learn how to listen to their spouse without defensiveness. They are shown the three steps of the win-win waltz that make shared decision-making flow smoothly, the four secrets of effective dialogue, and the six steps of healing apologies. They learn what it takes to clean up inadvertent toxic spills, and what to do when a partner has gone off track. Readers are shown the "baseball" system, an important method for helping each other in emotionally difficult times. And they are taught essential techniques for how to keep their anger ceilings low, and learn to convert moments of anger into momentum for effective learning and growth. This workbook offers brief explanations of each key skill that help readers gain a clear understanding of how it will add to a more gratifying marriage. A host of fun practice exercises then give readers a chance to repeat each skill often enough that it becomes theirs.

Genres: Marriage, Relationships

208 pages, Spiral-bound

First published November 1, 2003

Reviews

[Maude Mayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book and its companion work are excellent tools for having a true experience of peace and passion in your relationship. Dr. Heitler outlines practical techniques for learning how to have a relationship free of conflict and dispels the myth that there is no other way to be together than with fighting and arguments! If you are in a relationship, or want to have one that will last, you can't afford to miss this one.

[Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good worksheets that I assign out to couples that I am working with. Love the scheduling exercise.