When you got married, you and your spouse made a contract. Oh, not the one you signed in church or at the registry office. It was a contract no one but the two of you knew about. One that sets the terms of your relationship. But that contract can and does change. It changes when: you or your spouse lose your job; your first child is born; the kids leave home; your spouse cheats on you. Big changes in your life mean big changes in your marriage as well. And in this guide to a happy, healthy marriage you'll learn how to renegotiate your marriage during the ups and downs of life so that it can survive. Most of all, you'll learn the secrets to renegotiating your marriage contract so both of you remain committed to a strong, healthy, and happy wedlock.
"A fresh look at infidelity, broadening the focus from the havoc it wreaks within a committed relationship to consider also why people do it, what it means to them, and why breaking up is the expected response to duplicity — but not necessarily the wisest one.” — LA Review of Books From iconic couples’ therapist and bestselling author of Mating in Captivity comes a provocative and controversial look at infidelity with practical, honest, and empathetic advice for how to move beyond it. An affair: it can rob a couple of their relationship, their happiness, their very identity. And yet, this extremely common human experience is so poorly understood. What are we to make of this time-honored taboo—universally forbidden yet universally practiced? Why do people cheat—even those in happy marriages? Why does an affair hurt so much? When we say infidelity, what exactly do we mean? Do our romantic expectations of marriage set us up for betrayal? Is there such a thing as an affair-proof marriage? Is it possible to love more than one person at once? Can an affair ever help a marriage? Perel weaves real-life case stories with incisive psychological and cultural analysis in this fast-paced and compelling book. For the past ten years, Perel has traveled the globe and worked with hundreds of couples who have grappled with infidelity. Betrayal hurts, she writes, but it can be healed. An affair can even be the doorway to a new marriage—with the same person. With the right approach, couples can grow and learn from these tumultuous experiences, together or apart. Affairs, she argues, have a lot to teach us about modern relationships—what we expect, what we think we want, and what we feel entitled to. They offer a unique window into our personal and cultural attitudes about love, lust, and commitment. Through examining illicit love from multiple angles, Perel invites readers into an honest, enlightened, and entertaining exploration of modern marriage in its many variations. Fiercely intelligent, The State of Affairs provides a daring framework for understanding the intricacies of love and desire. As Perel observes, “Love is messy; infidelity more so. But it is also a window, like no other, into the crevices of the human heart.”
Long recognized as the authoritative guide for clinicians working with divorcing families, this book presents crucial concepts, strategies, and intervention techniques. Robert E. Emery describes how to help parents navigate the emotional and legal hurdles of this painful family transition while protecting their children's well-being. The book is grounded in cutting-edge research on family relationships, parenting, and children's adjustment, including Emery's groundbreaking longitudinal study of the impact of divorce mediation versus litigation. It provides a detailed treatment manual for mediating custody and other disputes, developing collaborative parenting plans, and fostering positive postdivorce family relationships. New to This Edition *Reflects the latest psychological research, as well as divorce and custody law. *Chapters on understanding and addressing divorcing partners' anger and grief. *Treatment manual chapters have been extensively revised. *Incorporates the author's 12-year follow-up study.
In Love, Honor and Negotiate: Making your Marriage Work, family therapist Betty Carter offers a cutting-edge, common-sense approach to helping marriages survive, grow, and flourish: renegotiating the marriage contract.
Is marriage dead? If it is, it's because too many couples are frustrated by and disillusioned with the empty promises of old-school, traditional marriage. If it isn't, it's because - down deep - most of us genuinely crave the connection and true intimacy that marriage promises. The Five-Year Marriage bridges the gap between disappointment and satisfaction. It's a paradigm shift away from the sentencing-style demands of "until death do us part" and toward to a new design that enables couples to make sense of the marriage commitment within this ever-changing world. In the Five-Year Marriage, you'll discover: - What it means to live a Five-Year Marriage - What it takes to be a good Five-Year Marriage Partner - How to get your Five-Year Marriage started - What to include in your Five-Year Marriage contract - Ways to help you stick to your Five-Year Marriage agreements - Tips for renegotiating your Five-Year Marriage contract - and much more! The Five-Year Marriage is a game-changer!
If half of all cars bought in America each year broke down, there would be a national uproar. But when people suggest that maybe every single marriage doesn't look like the next and isn't meant to last until death, there's nothing but a rash of proposed laws trying to force it to do just that. In The New I Do, therapist Susan Pease Gadoua and journalist Vicki Larson take a groundbreaking look at the modern shape of marriage to help readers open their minds to marrying more consciously and creatively. Offering actual models of less-traditional marriages, including everything from a parenting marriage (intended for the sake of raising and nurturing children) to a comfort or safety marriage (where people marry for financial security or companionship), the book covers unique options for couples interested in forging their own paths. With advice to help listeners decide what works for them, The New I Doacts as a guide to thinking outside the marital box and the framework for a new debate on marriage in the 21st century.
Midlife is one of the most trying times in a marriage. Pressures come from within -- as anxiety, boredom, and restlessness tempt us to seek fulfillment in affairs or radical lifestyle changes. And pressure comes from outside, too, as growing children, aging parents, health concerns, and financial strains make it harder than ever to focus on each other. In this guide, couples who want to stay the course will find compelling, commonsense advice on how to: -- Get what they really want from each other -- Make their relationship a priority -- Recognize the risks of midlife marriage -- Rekindle -- and even improve -- their sexual relationship -- Triumph over the tough challenges that drive other couples to divorce -- Learn to really like each other again
Sex wasn't supposed to be part of the deal... Three years into a marriage of convenience, Molly's high-powered CEO husband wants to add a new term to their marriage agreement. Sex--without any messy emotional entanglements. But weekly sex with Luke, despite their carefully negotiated terms, is likely to get messy eventually. Content in a mutually beneficial arrangement, Molly isn't going to fall for Luke the way she fell for an old lover, only to be crushed in the end. She vows to stay strong, no matter how much intimacy develops between them in bed. When her old lover returns, finally wanting a real relationship, Molly has the chance to give her heart to a man who will accept it. It's too bad she now wants to give it to her husband, who has never admitted her heart is what he wants.
As seen on CNBC's Follow the Leader “Farnoosh’s ground-breaking book will save more relationships than couples counseling ever could.” —Barbara Stanny, author of Secrets of Six-Figure Women Today, a record number of women are their household’s top-earner. But if you’re that woman, you face a much higher risk of burnout, infidelity, and divorce. In this important and timely book, personal finance expert Farnoosh Torabi candidly addresses how income imbalances affect relationships and family dynamics, and presents a bold strategy to achieving happiness at work and home. Torabi’s ten essential rules include: • Buy Yourself a Wife: Outsource as many household tasks as possible to bring more peace and happiness to both your lives • Don’t Assume a Mr. Mom is Best: The math might say he should quit his job, but doing so can be dangerous. • Understand the Male Brain: Know how men think and what motivates their behavior to communicate effectively, share responsibilities, and avoid power struggles in your relationship.
Every couple wants a happy relationship and a meaningful career but how do we balance both? In Couples that Work, Professor Jennifer Petriglieri shifts away from the language of sacrifice and trade-offs and focuses on how couples can successfully tackle the challenges they will face throughout their lives--together. The book explores key questions like: - Can you and your partner have equally important careers or must you prioritise one over the other? - How can you juggle children or family commitments without sacrificing your work? - Does every decision require compromise or can you find solutions that benefit you both? Identifying common triggers and traps, and presenting engaging exercises to help you avoid and overcome them, this book will help every couple design their own unique way to combine love and work at every stage of their journey. 'Hugely insightful. All couples must read this now' Susan David, author of Emotional Agility 'Managing one career is hard enough; two often seems impossible. In this book, Jennifer shares what she's learned about how couples can not only survive but thrive' Adam Grant, author of Originals
