Lessons of Lifelong Intimacy: Building a Stronger Marriage Without Losing YourselfThe 9 Principles of a Balanced and Happy Relationship

New York Times bestselling author Michael Gurian offers a groundbreaking plan for couples seeking to build a healthy relationship work through past hurts and create greater intimacyBecome separate from your partner yet also become closersounds counterintuitive doesnt it With twenty-five years of family and marital counseling practice Michael Gurian shows that intimate separateness is the key to creating a healthy partnership in life Recent university studies show that the most frequent reason relationships dissolve is not abuse alcoholism money or even infidelity but rather a lack of emotional fulfillment Most books on love and marriage focus on teaching communication and conflict skills but neglect to help couples with the other half of intimacyseparateness In this practical yet personal guide to love Gurian details the benefits of creating a lifelong balance of closeness and separateness He outlines a twelve-stage model created for his own private practice which provides long-term goals and focal points for dialogue that can help couples work through arguments Gurian also delves into differences in white and gray matter between the male and female brain which may explain the varying needs for intimacy and separateness differences in verbal- emotive development and the effects these all have on relationships Rich with examples and case studies this book presents strategies for communication and conflict that build more emotional balance while showing how intimate separateness can be the key to lifelong happiness.