Do You Want to Stay Happy Together?

When couples come to therapy, it is because something has gone wrong in their relationship. While the problems they bring run the gamut, there is one thing that is almost always a common denominator. When asked how they met they get this far-away look — usually with a sigh — and then tell the tale of how they fell in love. During the telling, they are transported back to a happier time. As they reveal their dance of romance, their bodies soften and breathing changes. For these few moments they have put down their weapons, and it is not unusual even with the most combative couples for a slight smile to come through. When asked what went wrong, the mood in the room changes. A dark and foreboding cloud is cast that can rapidly deteriorate into blaming and finger-pointing. The smiles vanish, negativity returns and the issues that brought them in in the first place are back. What if there were a way to capture the essence of those initial feelings of joy and love at the beginning of a romance and find ways to nurture them and have them evolve? What would happen if we focused on strengthening our relationship right in the beginning rather than wait for it to deteriorate? The book Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love that Lasts by Suzie and James Pawelski has done just that. They have taken the best features of positive psychology and applied them to relationships. Their writing and exercises provide genuine hope for couples by giving ...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Books Communication Marriage and Divorce Proof Positive Relationships Self-Help Conflict Resolution Couples Counseling Intimacy Marriage And Family Therapist Source Type: blogs