Product Description
Love takes work, but, when it comes to relationships, it pays to work smarter. This book, a revised and updated edition of a therapist-recommended classic, shows you how to work smarter in your relationship. This book helps you improve communication, cope better with problems, and resolve conflicts in healthy and creative ways. Each chapter teaches an essential skill, based on cognitive behavioral therapy, which can lead to greater happiness and deeper intimacy. New in this edition is a chapter on using acceptance skills, developed from the revolutionary new acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which help you learn to accept your partner without judgment and structure your relationship based on a consciously chosen set of core values.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 9 reviews)

Great couples book by J. Chavez (Phx, Az)

5 Stars
February 05, 2009
We love this book! It has saved our relationship! I recommend this to any couple that is going thru a rut. it has excellent communication exercises that can be put into play immediately for lasting results.

Excellent! by T. Henderson (Mena, AR USA)

5 Stars
January 30, 2009
I am always looking for books by Matthew McKay, and I am never disappointed. This book is very helpful for couples...

All about communication by Miss Reader (San Diego, CA)

4 Stars
July 09, 2008
This book was useful for couples, friends, most communication interaction. The examples and descriptions were enlightening and informative on many levels!

Practical, useful book for motivated couples by Beth Cholette (Upstate NY USA)

5 Stars
April 07, 2008
Couple Skills is written by three established authors in the self-help field. The authors argue that their approach is unique in that it focuses on action and change, thereby requiring the active involvement of the reader. Furthermore, they have designed each chapter of the book to stand alone, thus allowing readers to pick and choose the sections of the book which are most personally applicable. As a clinical psychologist, I believe that the main strength of this book is its practical approach. Every chapter contains a wealth of helpful case examples, interactive worksheets, and constructive couple exercises. However, as the topic areas addressed become more complicated, so do the interventions, thus demanding an even greater level of participation from the reader. As the authors say in their introduction, this book is designed for couples who are willing to work; there must be a real commitment to engaging fully in the activities suggested in order to derive benefit. Topics addressed include listening, expressing feelings/needs, providing reinforcement, negotiating, problem-solving, coping with anger, and assertiveness techniques. For couples who share joint motivation to work on their relationship and who are willing to put in both the time and effort required to learn and practice the skills set forth here, this book is likely to be useful and informative. However, those who feel more ambivalent towards their partners and/or are looking for a quick fix are likely to be disappointed in work-intensive approach necessary to obtain benefit from this skills-focused guide. Overall, I rate this book 4 1/2 stars, as it does require a high level of commitment.

Couple Skills by Dana Scott (Tennessee USA)

4 Stars
April 07, 2008
The book was helpful in my career as a "para-professional" or lay counselor. The reading was easy and not alot of legalistic wording.

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

	Communication Miracles for Couples: Easy and Effective Tools to Create More Love and Less Conflict by Jonathan Robinson (Author) A lot of books about couples’ communication give techniques that are too complicated to actually use, especially in the heat of the moment. Not so with the simple, powerfully effective methods in Communication Miracles for Couples. While the exercises are extremely simple and can be done in a snap, it is mastering these exercises that will transform the quality of a relationship. Whether two people are looking to enhance a good relationship or are deeply mired in problems, these techniques...
	Why Can't You Read My Mind? Overcoming the 9 Toxic Thought Patterns that Get in the Way of a Loving Relationship by Jeffrey Bernstein (Author), Susan Magee (Contributor) Most people think that poor communication is the reason why so many relationships end, but it’s actually the way we learn to think about our partners and our problems that kills trust, erodes intimacy, and cripples communication. In Why Can’t You Read My Mind?, psychologist Jeffrey Bernstein reveals—for the first time—the nine toxic thought patterns at work in virtually every intimate relationship, and shows you how the distorted, negative, exaggerated thoughts you and your...
	The Power of Two Workbook by Susan Heitler (Author), Abigail Hirsch (Author) This book is a step-by-step guide for couples who want to enhance their communication skills and maximize their relationship’s potential for mutual support and growth. Learn to speak your mind in a way that your partner will hear with interest. not with antagonism. Hear your partner without becoming defensive. Aim for "win-win" communication every time. Find out how to clean up after inadvertent "toxic spills." Exercises help you learn to keep anger ceilings low, and to convert moments of...
	Emotional Fitness for Couples: 10 Minutes a Day to a Better Relationship by Barton Goldsmith (Author) This book offers you a step-by-step progam you can use to hone your relationship skills to championship levels—in just ten minutes a day. You can use the book alone, or you can try the exercises with your partner, going through the book in order or choosing those chapters most relevant to your particular goals. Each chapter is short—about two or three pages—and succinct. They combine easy exercises and tools with concise, snappy commentary on issues. Topics include: what the word...
	20 Communication Tips for Couples: A 30-Minute Guide to a Better Relationship by Doyle Barnett (Author) Able to be read in thirty minutes, a concise and simple guide presents twenty tips designed to improve the way couples talk and listen to each other, each followed by a short explanation and examples. Original. 25,000 first printing. IP.