Improving Your Relationship For Dummies

This is the guide to being happy with your partner. Whether you want to work through tiresome niggles, iron out potential issues before taking the next step, or simply fortify your partnership against the daily ups and downs, this relationship manual provides all the expert advice and support you need. Packed with key information on managing change, successful cohabitation, overcoming jealousy, and igniting passion, and including worksheets designed to get you and your partner thinking and working together, this is your passport to a loving, communicative relationship that's set to last.

Auteur

Paula Hall is a registered sexual and relationship psychotherapist with UKCP. She is a Relate-trained couple's counsellor and psychosexual therapist, currently working in private practice. Paula is also a member of the Relate media team and regularly comments on relationship issues in the national news, on the radio and in various publications.

Texte du rabat
Get your relationship back on track and build firm foundations for the future Everyone knows that true love isn't always easy. From breaking an argument cycle to reining in jealousy or reviving a flagging sex life, we all need some good advice now and again. This reassuring book guides you through washing up maelstroms, major relationship crises and everything in between. So whether you've hit the rocks or simply want to strengthen a solid relationship, this book will help you cohabit happily on a day-to-day basis, work through your problems and fall in love all over again.

• Prepare yourself for change analyse the strengths and weaknesses of your relationship and develop the ground rules of a successful partnership
• Enjoy the fun stuff get the most out of your 'couple time', rekindle romance and deal with bedroom issues, from boredom to sexual problems
• Improve communication and resolve conflict discover the best ways to relate to each other, prevent petty fights and manage arguments constructively
• Overcome specific issues learn how to overcome minor grievances, handle financial issues, deal with jealousy, control anger, cope with anxiety, depression or addiction, manage change and survive an affair
  "For a relationship to work, you have to work at it. This book takes the strain out of that process and makes it fun and achievable. From the essentials of sex to coping with change it's all here!"
  Suzie Hayman, agony aunt and The Times columnist

Open the book and find:

• The early relationship alarm bells and how to deal with them
• How to stop conversations turning into rows
• Why men and women can see things differently
• Ways to encourage intimacy
• Tips to heat up your sex life from timetables to toys!
• Survival techniques for parenthood, redundancy, retirement and more
• How to move beyond betrayal

• Worksheets for you to work through together
  Learn to:

• Pinpoint the relationship issues you need to work on
• Communicate effectively with your partner and resolve conflict
• Work through minor grumbles as well as more serious relationship problems
• Rekindle romance and enjoy a passionate sex life

Contenu

Introduction 1

Part I: Preparing for Relationship Change 7

Chapter 1: Understanding the Economics of Love 9

Chapter 2: Doing a Relationship Inventory 23

Chapter 3: Developing the Ground Rules for a Successful Relationship 43

Part II: Boosting Your Relationship 63

Chapter 4: Prioritising Your Relationship 65

Chapter 5: Doing Oodles of Romantic Stuff 83

Chapter 6: Understanding the Essentials of Sex 99

Chapter 7: Turning Up the Sexual Thermostat 125

Part III: Improving Communication and Resolving Conflict 141

Chapter 8: Establishing the Rules of Effective Communication 143

Chapter 9: Settling Disagreements 161

Chapter 10: Breaking the Argument Cycle177

Part IV: Working Through Relationship Issues 191

Chapter 11: Overcoming Day-to-Day Grumbles 193

Chapter 12: Handling the Bigger Diffi culties 215

Chapter 13: Managing Major Life Changes 237

Chapter 14: Surviving an Affair 263

Chapter 15: Recognising That It's Over 289

Part V: The Part of Tens 305

Chapter 16: Ten Ways to Ignite Passion 307

Chapter 17: Ten Tips for Talking Together 313

Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Avoid a Row 319

Chapter 19: Ten Great Expectations for Couples 325

Appendix: Relationship Resources 331

Index 335