Title Details

HOWARD J. MARKMAN, Ph.D., noted marital expert, is co-director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies at the University of Denver and specializes in research on the prediction and prevention of marital breakdown. SCOTT STANLEY, Ph.D., is co-director of the center and adjunct associate professor of marital and family therapy at Fuller Theological Seminary, and he specializes in research on marital commitment. SUSAN L. BLUMBERG, Ph.D., a psychologist who works with families and couples, has focused on training and research in the PREPTM approach.

Part One: Handling Conflict
1. Four Key Patterns That Can Harm a Relationship
2. The Differences Between Men and Women in Conflict
3. Communicating Clearly and Safely: The Speaker/Listener Technique
4. Problem Solving
5. Ground Rules for Handling Conflict
Part Two: Dealing with Core Issues
6. The Difference Between Issues and Events
7. Unfulfilled Expectations and What to Do About Them
8. Understanding Commitment
9. The Power of Commitment
10. Forgiveness and the Restoration of Intimacy
Part Three: Enhancement
11. Preserving and Protecting FriAndship
12. Increasing Fun Together
13. Enhancing Your Sex Life
14. The Importance of Core Belief Systems
15. Positive Steps for Keeping Your Relationship Strong

"To learn to fight right, couples can read books like Dr. Markman's Fighting for Your Marriage, which teach such skills as listening without criticizing or interrupting, setting ground rules for discussion, and scheduling meetings to talk about issues calmly." —Woman's Day

"For martial therapists like me who give homework assignments to couples, Fighting for Your Marriage is a gift. And for those couples who want to work on their marriage without a therapist, it is a book I highly recommAnd." —Anna Beth Benningfield, president, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

"Fighting for Your Marriage offers the clarity couples need to understand how to change, plus wonderfully constructive and effective techniques for putting it into action." —Andrea Van Steenhouse, psychologist and talk show host, Denver

"Here is a manual, a users guide for one of life's great adventures. Fighting for Your Marriage marks a turning point in relationship self-help books. It is essential reading for couples who care." —from the foreword by Dean S. Edell, M.D., medical journalist