A General Theory of Love


Thomas Lewis - 2000
    Three eminent psychiatrists tackle the difficult task of reconciling what artists and thinkers have known for thousands of years about the human heart with what has only recently been learned about the primitive functions of the human brain.A General Theory of Love demonstrates that our nervous systems are not self-contained: from earliest childhood, our brains actually link with those of the people close to us, in a silent rhythm that alters the very structure of our brains, establishes life-long emotional patterns, and makes us, in large part, who we are. Explaining how relationships function, how parents shape their child’s developing self, how psychotherapy really works, and how our society dangerously flouts essential emotional laws, this is a work of rare passion and eloquence that will forever change the way you think about human intimacy.

Why Marriages Succeed or Fail: And How You Can Make Yours Last


John M. Gottman - 1994
    Now you can use his tested methods to evaluate, strengthen, and maintain your own long-term relationship.This breakthrough book guides you through a series of self-tests designed to help you determine what kind of marriage you have, where your strengths and weaknesses are, and what specific actions you can take to help your marriage. You'll also learn that more sex doesn't necessarily improve a marriage, frequent arguing will not lead to divorce, financial problems do not always spell trouble in a relationship, wives who make sour facial expressions when their husbands talk are likely to be separated within four years and there is a reason husbands withdraw from arguments—and there's a way around it. Dr. Gottman teaches you how to recognize attitudes that doom a marriage—contempt, criticism, defensiveness, and stonewalling—and provides practical exercises, quizzes, tips, and techniques that will help you understand and make the most of your relationship. You can avoid patterns that lead to divorce, and—Why Marriages Succeed or Fail will show you how.

Will Our Love Last?: A Couple's Road Map


Sam R. Hamburg - 2000
    In this unconventional guide, Sam R. Hamburg, Ph.D., explains how to eliminate the guesswork and pick the right romantic partner. Basing his findings on hundreds of cases in his twenty-five years as a marital therapist and thirty years in his own marriage, Dr. Hamburg shows that in the best unions partners are deeply compatible in all areas -- from sex to daily decision making to beliefs about life. With an innovative approach, Dr. Hamburg guides couples in understanding how compatible they are in each dimension and he empowers them to make important relationship decisions that are intellectually and emotionally informed. Written in a clear and direct style, Will Our Love Last? teaches couples at any stage of commitment how to avoid mistakes and find lasting love.

The Dance of Anger: A Woman's Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships


Harriet Lerner - 1985
    Harriet Lerner, in her renowned classic that has transformed the lives of millions of readers. While anger deserves our attention and respect, women still learn to silence our anger, to deny it entirely, or to vent it in a way that leaves us feeling helpless and powerless. In this engaging and eminently wise book, Dr. Lerner teaches women to identify the true sources of our anger and to use anger as a powerful vehicle for creating lasting change.

The Language of Feelings


David Viscott - 1977
    Argues that a clear understanding and free expression of one's feelings provide release from self-limiting defenses and emotional binds and access to fuller experience and satisfaction.

On Becoming a Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy


Carl R. Rogers - 1961
    A new introduction by Peter Kramer sheds light on the significance of Dr. Rogers's work today. New discoveries in the field of psychopharmacology, especially that of the antidepressant Prozac, have spawned a quick-fix drug revolution that has obscured the psychotherapeutic relationship. As the pendulum slowly swings back toward an appreciation of the therapeutic encounter, Dr. Rogers's "client-centered therapy" becomes particularly timely and important.

Love Will Find You: 9 Magnets to Bring You and Your Soulmate Together


Kathryn Alice - 2006
    Love Will Find You is a true antidote to all the strict rules-oriented dating books out there, explaining why every one of the 110 million single Americans have reason to celebrate: Nothing will keep love from you Even if you never leave the house, your soulmate will find you You are never too old, too fat, or too poor for love There is no such thing as rejection, only the wrong fit Hate going out? Does every singles' event feel like a convention of desperation? Are you stuck in a past "crazy love" relationship you can't shake? Using the nine love magnets, Kathryn Alice has helped thousands of people to discard their old notions of dating, teaching practical steps to get love, including: healing your perceived "fatal flaws"; decluttering your heart and releasing old loves; sending out a soul call; and banishing the idea that you need to kiss 100 frogs to find your prince(ss).

When Love Meets Fear: Becoming Defense-Less and Resource-Full


David Richo - 1997
    He then presents a concrete program of change for overcoming this fear. Richo looks at th deepest roots of fear: fear of love, loss, change, being alone, fear of others, fear of self-disclosure, fear of giving and receiving, coming and going. His program includes becoming defense-less, that is, allowing ourselves to feel fear without our buffering defenses, and then becoming resource-full, that is, learning to act in new ways.Features ---- is written in a conversational tone, yet is informed by dozens of sources and years of professional experience-- helps distinguish between neurotic fear and appropriate fear-- integrates psychology with an ecumenical spirituality-- includes affirmations, suggestions, and concrete actions

How to Be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving


David RichoDavid Richo - 2002
    Drawing on the Buddhist concept of mindfulness, How to Be an Adult in Relationships explores five hallmarks of mindful loving and how they play a key role in our relationships throughout life:    1.  Attention to the present moment; observing, listening, and noticing all the feelings at play in our relationships.    2.  Acceptance of ourselves and others just as we are.    3.  Appreciation of all our gifts, our limits, our longings, and our poignant human predicament.    4.  Affection shown through holding and touching in respectful ways.    5.  Allowing life and love to be just as they are, with all their ecstasy and ache, without trying to take control. When deeply understood and applied, these five simple concepts—what Richo calls the five A's—form the basis of mature love. They help us to move away from judgment, fear, and blame to a position of openness, compassion, and realism about life and relationships. By giving and receiving these five A's, relationships become deeper and more meaningful, and they become a ground for personal transformation.

Changing Course: Healing from Loss, Abandonment, and Fear


Claudia Black - 1993
    "You do this through a process that teaches you to go to the source of those rules, to question them, and to create new rules of your own," she explains. Using charts, exercises, checklists, and real-life stories of adult children of alcoholics, Black carefully and expertly guides readers in healing from the fear, shame, and chaos of addiction.Key features and benefits:proven seller by a trusted recovery authorpresents a clearly articulated process for healingexcellent self-help resource for overcoming the experience of abandonment

Love Is Letting Go of Fear


Gerald G. Jampolsky - 1979
    To live without fear, we must stop analysing it, stop agonising over it, stop fighting with it, and let it go.

Mindfulness


Ellen J. Langer - 1989
    Ellen J. Langer and her team of researchers at Harvard introduced a unique concept of mindfulness, adapted to contemporary life in the West. Langer's theory has been applied to a wide number of fields, including health, business, aging, social justice, and learning. There is now a new psychological assessment based on her work (called the Langer Mindfulness Scale). In her introduction to this 25th anniversary edition, Dr. Langer (now known as "the Mother of Mindfulness") outlines some of these exciting applications and suggests those still to come.

The Five Languages of Apology: How to Experience Healing in All Your Relationships


Gary Chapman - 2006
    By helping people identify the languages of apology, this book clears the way toward healing and sustaining vital relationships. The authors detail proven techniques for giving and receiving effective apologies.You'll learn the five languages of apology:* Expressing regret* Accepting responsibility* Making restitution* Genuinely repenting* Requesting forgiveness

The New Spirit-Controlled Woman


Beverly LaHaye - 2005
    Readers will discover how temperaments impact...being singlebeing marriedlove lifecommunicationministryThe New Spirit-Controlled Woman shows readers that God loves them, that He has wonderful plans for them, and that He provides the power and drive needed to fulfill His will.

Getting the Love You Want : A Guide for Couples


Harville Hendrix - 2005
    In this groundbreaking book, Dr Harville Hendrix shares with you what he has learned about the psychology of love during more than thirty years of working as a therapist and helps you transform your relationship into a lasting source of love and companionship. For this edition of his classic book, Dr Hendrix and his wife, Helen LaKelly Hunt, have added a new introduction describing the powerful influence this book has had on so many people over the years. With its step-by-step programme, GETTING THE LOVE YOU WANT will help you create a loving, supportive and revitalized partnership.