“Love brings up our unresolved feelings,” says John Grey. This is perhaps the most eloquent reason why relationships are often so difficult. Trust, insecurity, and fundamental difficulties in communicating our feelings all addressed in these three powerful books.
1. Non-Violent Communication: A Language of Life, by Marshall B. Rosenberg. Recommended by clinical psychologist Robert Solley’s, Non-Violent Communication teaches readers how to communicate and resolve conflicts peacefully and productively. Clear and easy to read, non-violent communication “describes a great way to minimize judgment and blaming, and get to the underlying feelings and needs that really matter,” says Solley.
2. Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, by John Grey. First published in 1992 and translated into over 40 languages, this international bestseller is considered a must-read for both women and men who want to make the most of their differences. Based on the idea that men and women live on completely different ‘planets’, author John Gray used his experience counseling couples to help men and women understand how to understand each other’s needs –and communicate them.
3. We Love Each Other, But … Simple Secrets to Strengthen Your Relationship and Make Love Last, by Ellen Wachtel.One simple advice in this book sheds light on the importance of empathy. “Talk about difficult subjects when you feel close to your partner, not when you are angry,” says Wachtel. A short, to-the-point book filled with simple upbeat advice to strengthen the relationship, it covers most difficulties encountered in every marriage, and shows precisely how to solve them.
Check out other helpful tips about mental health, advice for self-help on Challenge 2 Change.