Couples can make love last, says psychotherapist and clinical social worker Marcia Naomi Berger. They just need to learn how. Her prescription is deceptively simple: have an interruption-free thirty-minute (or even shorter) meeting each week and follow an agenda that includes the kind of appreciation and planning for fun that foster intimacy and pave the way for collaborative conflict resolution. With this book, you’ll learn how to effectively communicate and connect with your spouse each week, and for a lifetime, with step-by-step guidelines that walk you through the four parts of a marriage meeting: expressing appreciation, coordinating chores, planning for good times, and resolving problems. Inspiring real-life stories demonstrate how transformative these brief meetings can be. The communication tips and techniques Berger has gleaned from helping hundreds of couples will guide you toward a deeper, more lasting love.
ISBN-13: 9781608682232
Media Type: Paperback
Publisher: New World Library
Publication Date: 02-11-2014
Pages: 232
Product Dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)
Marcia Naomi Berger, MSW, LCSW, leads dynamic marriage and communication workshops and is a popular speaker at conferences. In addition to working as a clinical social worker with a private psychotherapy practice in San Rafael, California, she teaches continuing education classes for psychotherapists and counselors.
Table of Contents
Contents
Foreword by Linda Bloom
Introduction
Part I: Preparing for Your Marriage Meetings
Chapter 1: Marriage Meeting Basics: Overview and Techniques
Chapter 2: Debunking Marriage Myths
Part II: Conducting the Four Parts of a Marriage Meeting
Chapter 3: Expressing Appreciation
Chapter 4: Coordinating Chores
Chapter 5: Planning for Good Times
Chapter 6: Addressing Problems and Challenges
Part III: Communication Skills for Effective Meetings
Chapter 7: I-Statements
Chapter 8: Self-Talk
Chapter 9: More Communication Techniques for Marriage Meetings
Part IV: Transforming Relationships with Marriage Meetings
Chapter 10: Opposites Attract, and Then What?: Ken and Lauren
Chapter 11: Resolving an In-law Issue: Ned and Amy
Chapter 12: Handling a Money Conflict: Sally and Michael
Chapter 13: Couple Progresses from Verbal Abuse to Healthier Relating: Wendy and Zack
Chapter 14: Marriage Meeting Techniques Support Couple Therapy: Oliver and Robin
Conclusion
Appendix A. The Marriage Meeting Agenda: A Quick-Reference Guide
Appendix B: The Feelings and Needs Inventory
Acknowledgments
Endnotes
Reading List
Index
About the Author
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