Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love: 30 Minutes a Week to the Relationship You've Always Wanted

by Marcia Naomi Berger

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608682232
Publisher:	New World Library
Publication date:	02/11/2014
Pages:	232
Sales rank:	997,387
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

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

Editorial Reviews

“Gives couples what we all long for: a simple way to connect lovingly every week, grow in intimacy, and smoothly handle whatever comes up.”
— Edward M. Hallowell, MD, coauthor of Driven to Distraction

“The perfect book for the twenty-first-century marriage. A practical, easy way to increase intimacy, romance, and teamwork and resolve conflicts more smoothly.”
— Susan Page, author of How One of You Can Bring the Two of You Together

“A clear, well-organized, and easy-to-use book that will lead to a satisfying marriage. This could be the best investment for happiness you’ll ever make!”
— Jon Carlson, PsyD, EDD, distinguished professor, Governors State University

“Marcia Naomi Berger has nailed the essentials required for growing a great marriage....I am grateful to her for writing this book because I now have a practical, inspirational guide to recommend to my students and marriage-counseling clients.”
— from the foreword by Linda Bloom, coauthor of 101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married

From the Publisher