| couples therapy intimacy activities: In Quest of the Mythical Mate Ellyn Bader, Peter Pearson, 2013-05-13 In Quest of the Mythical Mate presents a valuable and fertile developmental model for diagnosing and treating couples that is flexible enough to incorporate a wide variety of intervention strategies, yet purposeful enough to give a clear sense of direction to couples in distress. As such, this volume provides a powerful therapeutic approach for all professionals who treat couples. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Couples Therapy Workbook Kathleen Mates-Youngman, LMFT, 2014-10-01 Couples Therapy Workbook is a series of guided questions to promote meaningful couple conversations and build ongoing, connected communication. The core of this unique guide is 30 guided conversations of the most critical relationship struggles. For each of the 30 topics, there is an introduction, goal-setting strategies and 10 scripted questions to ask each other - all presented in an easy-to-use mindful style. Set in a weekly format over 30 days but can be tailored to any timeframe. Designed to be used to couples, and also by therapists working with couples (bonus clinician prep included with each conversation). Week 1- Who Are We? Falling in Love, Friendship, Caring, Acceptance, Empathy, Emotional Intimacy, Rituals Week 2 - Who Am I? Childhood, Family Origin, Temperament, Influences, Spirituality, Values, How I Think Week 3- How do we work? Communication, Conflict, Defensiveness, Intimacy, Trust, Fidelity and Boundaries, Parenting, Staying in Sync Week 4 - What do we want? Romance, Joy and Gratitude, respect, Apologies and Forgiveness, Challenges, Relationship Savings Account, Past, Present & Future, Keeping Connected Reviews: “What a unique resource! A treasure-trove of guided conversations to increase intimacy and friendship. Therapists often ask me for good homework assignments. This book does the thinking for you. Keep it on hand and whether its values, sex, conflict or other challenging issues, you'll have a ready-made way to help your clients make immediate progress.” -- Ellyn Bader, Ph.D, Founder/Director The Couples Institute This is a valuable resource for anyone working with couples. Any couple can profit greatly if they are willing to take Kathleen Youngman's challenge to explore these important topics and discuss these wonderful questions. -- Milan and Kay Yerkovich, Authors of best-selling How We Love series “Instead of offering analysis, advice or theory, The Couples Therapy Workbook offers just that, a set of questions to stimulate conversations that help couples deepen their engagement with each other and reconnect. All couples will find this an exceptional guide, and all therapists will find it an effective instrument to supplement the therapeutic process. I highly recommend it and complement the author on her creativity and attention to the core details of a connected relationship.” --Harville Hendrix, Ph. D. and Helen LaKelly Hunt, Ph. D.; Authors of Making Marriage Simple and Getting the Love You Want. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work John Gottman, PhD, Nan Silver, 2015-05-05 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Over a million copies sold! “An eminently practical guide to an emotionally intelligent—and long-lasting—marriage.”—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work has revolutionized the way we understand, repair, and strengthen marriages. John Gottman’s unprecedented study of couples over a period of years has allowed him to observe the habits that can make—and break—a marriage. Here is the culmination of that work: the seven principles that guide couples on a path toward a harmonious and long-lasting relationship. Straightforward yet profound, these principles teach partners new approaches for resolving conflicts, creating new common ground, and achieving greater levels of intimacy. Gottman offers strategies and resources to help couples collaborate more effectively to resolve any problem, whether dealing with issues related to sex, money, religion, work, family, or anything else. Packed with new exercises and the latest research out of the esteemed Gottman Institute, this revised edition of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the definitive guide for anyone who wants their relationship to attain its highest potential. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: The Art of Intimate Marriage Tim and Dr. Jennifer Konzen, 2019-01-08 From a two-time nationally award winning sexuality researcher - The Art of Intimate Marriage. God's plan for sexual intimacy in marriage is the work of a Master artist and genuine intimacy is like a beautiful masterpiece. Your marriage is going well but you want to make your sex life better and you’re looking for help on how to do that. You want to know what God has to say about how to build a fulfilling sexual intimacy in your marriage. Your sexual relationship has been full of pain, discouragement, and frustration and you need some answers. You have some medical issues that are making sex difficult and you would like to rekindle experiencing mutually pleasurable sex. For these issues and more, The Art of Intimate Marriage provides direction and guidance on how to get there. Creating that masterpiece may mean learning God’s view of sex, gaining life-giving intimacy skills, and figuring out how to work through conflict in a way that creates deeper connection. It may also mean overcoming things in your background, healing things in your marriage, or dealing with those medical challenges. We have the opportunity to have a deeper understanding of God’s loving heart through being deeply known and erotically bonded with our spouse. The Art of Intimate Marriage gives us a road map to experience growth toward a more rewarding, spiritual sexual relationship. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: The Couple's Activity Book Crystal Schwanke, 2020-09-22 Ready to strengthen your relationship? Start with a little fun Whether you're just starting your romantic adventure or celebrating years of marriage, The Couple's Activity Book can help you enhance your connection with playful, interactive games and activities. Through moments of shared laughter, physical reconnection, and meaningful conversation, you'll discover new and engaging ways to relate to one another. Feeling adventurous? Creative? Silly? Each chapter of this relationship book for couples is centered on a specific mood, so you can pick an activity that intrigues you both and jump right in, or you can work through the book together from cover to cover. The games in The Couple's Activity Book range from fun fill-in-the-blanks and word scrambles to more involved activities, like themed date nights, DIY day spas, and becoming tourists in your own hometown. Some can be done spontaneously. Others need a little preparation for a truly special experience. Unlike other relationship books for couples, the activities are designed to be carefree and entertaining without the added pressure of journaling or deep reflections. Build a stronger, loving bond with this big activity book for couples and have fun along the way. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Loving Bravely Alexandra H. Solomon, 2017-02-02 As seen on The TODAY Show! “A godsend to anyone searching for, but struggling to find, true love in their lives.” —Kristin Neff, PhD, author of Self-Compassion Empowering and compassionate, and its lessons are universal. —Publishers Weekly Real love starts with you. In order to attract a life partner and build a healthy intimate relationship, you must first become a good partner to yourself. This book offers twenty invaluable lessons that will help you explore and commit to your own emotional and psychological well-being so you can be ready, resilient, and confident in love. Many of us enter into romantic relationships full of expectation and hope, only to be sorely disappointed by the realization that the partner we’ve selected is a flawed human being with their own neuroses, history, and desires. Most relationships end because one or both people haven’t done the internal work necessary to develop self-awareness and take responsibility for their own experiences. We’ve all heard “You can’t love anyone unless you love yourself,” but amid life’s distractions and the myth of perfect, romantic love, how exactly do you do that? In Loving Bravely, psychologist, professor and relationship expert Alexandra H. Solomon introduces the idea of relational self-awareness, encouraging you to explore your personal history to gain an understanding of your own relational patterns, as well as your strengths and weaknesses in relationships. By doing so, you’ll learn what relationships actually require, beyond the fairytale notions of romance. And by maintaining a steady but gentle focus on yourself, you’ll build the best possible foundation for making a loving connection. By understanding your past relationship experiences, cultivating a strong sense of self-awareness, and determining what it is you really want in a romantic partner—you’ll be ready to find the healthy, lasting love your heart desires. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Our Love Is Too Good to Feel So Bad Mira Kirshenbaum, 1998 We just don't know how to make each other happy any more. ''Sex used to be really good. Now it doesn't go right at all. You don't suddenly lose the ability to make scrambled eggs. So why would we forget how to make love? We can't seem to talk without fighting. How did we get into this? I know what we're mad about, but I don't know why things keep making us so mad. Many of us have had experiences like these. Something's wrong--perhaps seriously wrong--but it's a complete mystery why a once-healthy relationship is now in trouble. You're tired of working unproductively on it, you're tired of feeling so confused, and you're tired of solutions that seem complicated and irrelevant. You deserve to know what your real couples problem is and what to do to solve it. This book does something that no book has ever done before. It shows you how to sort through all the pain and confusion in your relationship, put your finger on exactly what's been causing all the troubles, and find the precise way to eliminate them. For the first time, psychotherapist and bestselling author Mira Kirshenbaum has identified ten love killers that cause all the pain and mysterious problems couples get into. By answering simple questions, you'll be able to diagnose your individual case and identify the love killers responsible for your specific problems. We just don't know how to make each other happy any more. ''Sex used to be really good. Now it doesn't go right at all. You don't suddenly lose the ability to make scrambled eggs. So why would we forget how to make love? We can't seem to talk without fighting. How did we get into this? I know what we're mad about, but I don't know why things keep making us so mad. Many of us have had experiences like these. Something's wrong--perhaps seriously wrong--but it's a complete mystery why a once-healthy relationship is now in trouble. You're tired of working unproductively on it, you're tired of feeling so confused, and you're tired of solutions that seem complicated and irrelevant. You deserve to know what your real couples problem is and what to do to solve it. This book does something that no book has ever done before. It shows you how to sort through all the pain and confusion in your relationship, put your finger on exactly what's been causing all the troubles, and find the precise way to eliminate them. For the first time, psychotherapist and bestselling author Mira Kirshenbaum has identified ten love killers that cause all the pain and mysterious problems couples get into. By answering simple questions, you'll be able to diagnose your individual case and identify the love killers responsible for your specific problems. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: What Makes Love Last? John Gottman, John Mordechai Gottman, Nan Silver, 2013-09-10 One of the foremost relationship experts at work today offers creative insight on building trust and avoiding betrayal, helping readers to decode the mysteries of healthy love and relationships-- |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: The Couple's Workbook The School of Life, 2020-02-06 Therapeutic exercises to help couples nurture patience, forgiveness and humour. Here is a workbook containing the very best exercises that any couple can undertake to help their relationship function optimally; exercises to foster understanding, patience, forgiveness, humour and resilience in the face of the many hurdles that invariably arise when you try to live with someone else for the long term. Couples are guided to have particular conversations, analyse their feelings, explain parts of themselves to one another and undertake rituals that clear the air and help recover hope and passion. The goal is always to unblock channels of feeling and improve communication. Not least, doing exercises together is – at points – simply a lot of fun. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Eight Dates John Gottman, Julie Schwartz Gottman, Doug Abrams, Rachel Carlton Abrams, 2019-02-05 Whether you’re newly together and eager to make it work or a longtime couple looking to strengthen and deepen your bond, Eight Dates offers a program of how, why, and when to have eight basic conversations with your partner that can result in a lifetime of love. “Happily ever after” is not by chance, it’s by choice– the choice each person in a relationship makes to remain open, remain curious, and, most of all, to keep talking to one another. From award-winning marriage researcher and bestselling author Dr. John Gottman and fellow researcher Julie Gottman, Eight Dates offers an ingenious and simple-to-implement approach to effective relationship communication. Here are the subjects that every serious couple should discuss: Trust. Family. Sex and intimacy. Dealing with conflict. Work and money. Dreams, and more. And here is how to talk about them—how to broach subjects that are difficult or embarrassing, how to be brave enough to say what you really feel. There are also suggestions for where and when to go on each date—book your favorite romantic restaurant for the Sex & Intimacy conversation (and maybe go to a yoga or dance class beforehand). There are questionnaires, innovative exercises, real-life case studies, and skills to master, including the Four Skills of Intimate Conversation and the Art of Listening. Because making love last is not about having a certain feeling—it’s about both of you being active and involved. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Couples Therapy Activity Book Melissa Fulgieri LCSW, 2022-09-20 Strengthen your relationship with therapy activities for couples Relationships take time and effort to thrive, whether you've been together for four months or 40 years. Foster a deeper bond and work through relationship challenges—together—with this activity book for couples. You'll find a variety of therapeutic activities to help you and your partner build a strong foundation of trust, intimacy, and understanding. Evidence-based techniques—Connect and communicate through proven therapy strategies that support you and your partner as you navigate your relationship. Meaningful themes—Define what love means to you and your partner, embrace vulnerability, resolve conflict, show appreciation for the small things, set goals for the future, and more. Simple, engaging activities—Explore bonding activities like creating a love manual, playing bucket list bingo, and mixing up a cocktail (or mocktail) that represents your partner. Discover how to make your relationship flourish with this top choice in couples therapy workbooks. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: The Divorce Remedy Michele Weiner Davis, 2002-09-04 Provides advice for couples contemplating divorce who still hope to save their marriages, and suggests ways to deal with infidelity, depression, a midlife crisis, sexual problems, and other common issues. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Knowing Her Intimately Laura M. Brotherson, 2016-09-07 Take your relationship to the next level...intimately! Knowing her intimately is the ultimate how-to-handbook--power-packed with hope and help for creating the intimate and passionate relationship God intended. Taking a respectful, yet straightforward approach, this sex-therapy-in-a-book, helps couples navigate the intricacies of intimacy to strengthen their marriages.--Back cover. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Questions for Couples Marcus Kusi, Ashley Kusi, 2017-04-26 Do you find it difficult coming up with thought-provoking conversation starters or topics to discuss with your partner? Do you want to discover insightful questions that can lead to having deeper, exciting, and more meaningful conversations as a couple? Don't have much to talk about except the day-to-day life activities? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone. We all want to have better, more substantial, and engaging conversations everyday with our significant other. However, knowing where to start or the right questions to ask can be a challenge when things become routine. That's why we wrote Questions for Couples. We have used these open-ended questions to get to know each other more deeply, have better conversations, and improve our relationship. We believe these questions will do the same for your relationship too. In Questions for Couples, you will discover: 1. 469 Thought-provoking conversation starters for connecting, building trust, and rekindling intimacy in your relationship. 2. Fun, engaging, and open-ended questions that will lead to some of the best conversations you have had in a while with your partner, bring you closer, and really get you learning about each other. 3. Creative conversation starters for communicating and expressing your feelings, needs, and desires. 4. Refreshing questions you can discuss with each other on a daily or weekly basis to help you grow your relationship, as well as personal development. Simply select 365 questions that you love, and use them for a 365 Days of Questions Challenge with your partner. 5. Thought-provoking questions that will help you talk about things you might never think of on your own, which is especially helpful if you are looking for something new to talk about. 6. Inspiring conversation starters for setting yearly goals as a couple, so you can grow together while achieving them. 7. Exciting sex questions that will get you talking and sharing your sexual desires, so you can have better and more satisfying sex. And much more. You can have great conversations when you know what questions to ask. You just need the right questions. Open-ended questions that will spark deeper conversations, so you can discover and learn more about yourself, and your partner. Whether you are dating, in a committed relationship, engaged, married, or in a long-distance relationship, this book is for you. Questions for Couples will get you talking for hours, even if you have very little to talk about. Plus because it’s pocket-sized, it's easy to take everywhere; for road trips, coffee dates, to date nights dinner or events, the beach, vacation trips, etc. Now, get your copy of this questions book for couples today. ----- Related keywords to this Questions for Couples book: Questions for couples, marriage questions, relationship questions, questions for dating couples, dating questions, questions for couples book, relationship questions, relationship questions book, questions couples, questions for couples game, questions for couples therapy, questions for married couples, questions for married couples fun, questions for couples to ask each other, book of questions for couples, what if questions for couples, 365 questions for couples, questions for engaged couples, relationship questions to ask, relationship questions game, relationship questions for couples, fun relationship questions, dating icebreaker questions, marriage counseling questions, conversation starters for couples, conversation starters, relationship books, marriage books, newlyweds book, books for couples, marriage help books, relationship help books, books for couples, books for married couples, dating books, |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Modern Kinship David Khalaf, Constantino Khalaf, 2019-01-08 Same-sex marriage may be legal in America, but its still far from the accepted norm, especially in Christian circles. So where can LBGTQ Christians who desire a lifelong, covenantal relationship look for dating and marriage advice when Christian relationship guides have not only simply ignored but actively excluded same-sex couples? David and Constantino Khalaf struggled to find relational role models and guidance throughout dating, their engagement, and the early months of their marriage. To fill this void, they began writing Modern Kinship, a blog exploring the unique challenges queer couples face on the road from singleness to marital bliss. Part personal reflection, part commentary, and full of practical advice, Modern Kinship explores the biblical concept of kinship from a twenty-first-century perspective. This important resource tackles subjects such as dating outside of smartphone apps, overcoming church and family issues, meeting your partners parents, deciding when and how to have children, and finding your mission as a couple. Modern Kinship encourages queer Christian couples to build God-centered partnerships of trust and mutuality. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: The Couple's Guide to Intimacy Bill Bercaw, 2010 As psychologists specializing in treating sex addiction, our jobs require us to work closely with people whose lives have fallen apart. Not all couples choose to rebuild, and that is always a very personal decision. This book is for those who do, and then often find themselves wondering, How can we have a healthy sex life after sex addiction? We have answered this question by developing Sexual Reintegration Therapy(SRT). If you have a vision for a better relationship, SRT gives you the plan. Even if you cannot see clearly how your wounded relationship can be healed, SRT will offer you that hope. SRT consists of a progressive series of clearly defined experiences (that we have been using successfully with our clients for years) that will help you address core intimacy issues that need upgrading. The lack of a structured program to promote healthy sexuality after sexual addiction has been a major source of frustration for many couples. It is also why so many of our professional colleagues, including Dr. Patrick Carnes, have been urging us to publish this book. A man who was nearing the end of the SRT program with his wife summed up his experience this way: This program has been more helpful to us than anything else we've tried. We knew what we wanted- we just needed a plan that could get us there. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: The High-Conflict Couple Alan Fruzzetti, 2006-12-03 You hear and read a lot about ways to improve your relationship. But if you've tried these without much success, you're not alone. Many highly reactive couples—pairs that are quick to argue, anger, and blame—need more than just the run-of-the-mill relationship advice to solve their problems in love. When destructive emotions are at the heart of problems in your relationship, no amount of effective communication or intimacy building will fix what ails it. If you're part of a high-conflict couple, you need to get control of your emotions first, to stop making things worse, and only then work on building a better relationship. The High-Conflict Couple adapts the powerful techniques of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) into skills you can use to tame out-of-control emotions that flare up in your relationship. Using mindfulness and distress tolerance techniques, you'll learn how to deescalate angry situations before they have a chance to explode into destructive fights. Other approaches will help you disclose your fears, longings, and other vulnerabilities to your partner and validate his or her experiences in return. You'll discover ways to manage problems with negotiation, not conflict, and to find true acceptance and closeness with the person you love the most. This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit — an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Intimacy and Desire Dr David Schnarch, 2010 In this groundbreaking book, Dr. David Schnarch, one of the foremost experts on sexuality and relationships, explains why normal healthy couples in long-term relationships have sexual desire problems, regardless of how much they love each other or how well they communicate. In-depth examples of couples he has counselled reveal his unique understanding of common-but-difficult sexual desire problems that affect couples of all ages. Combining compassion and clinical wisdom, Dr. Schnarch explains how to use his revolutionary Four Points of Balance approach to resolve low desire, mismatched desire, sexual boredom, and the emotional gridlock that accompanies these problems. Intimacy and Desire provides a roadmap for how couples can transform common sexual desire problems into self-exploration and personal development that leads to psychological and spiritual growth, stronger relationships, and more powerful and meaningful desire for each other. It provides time-proven comprehensive solutions that help couples reconnect with each other sexually, and take their intimacy and passion to new, previously unexplored heights. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples Leslie S. Greenberg, Susan M. Johnson, 1988-10-07 This influential volume provides a comprehensive introduction to emotionally focused therapy (EFT): its theoretical foundations, techniques, and clinical practice. EFT is a structured approach to couple therapy that integrates intrapsychic and interpersonal perspectives to help couples create new, more satisfying interactional patterns. Since the original publication of this book, EFT has been implemented and tested with growing numbers of couples in a wide range of settings. The authors, who codeveloped the approach, illuminate the power of emotional experience in relationships and in the process of therapeutic change. The book is richly illustrated with case examples and session transcripts. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: The Five Love Languages Gary Chapman, 2009-12-17 Marriage should be based on love, right? But does it seem as though you and your spouse are speaking two different languages? #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman guides couples in identifying, understanding, and speaking their spouse's primary love language-quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch. By learning the five love languages, you and your spouse will discover your unique love languages and learn practical steps in truly loving each other. Chapters are categorized by love language for easy reference, and each one ends with simple steps to express a specific language to your spouse and guide your marriage in the right direction. A newly designed love languages assessment will help you understand and strengthen your relationship. You can build a lasting, loving marriage together. Gary Chapman hosts a nationally syndicated daily radio program called A Love Language Minute that can be heard on more than 150 radio stations as well as the weekly syndicated program Building Relationships with Gary Chapman, which can both be heard on fivelovelanguages.com. The Five Love Languages is a consistent New York Times bestseller - with over 5 million copies sold and translated into 38 languages. This book is a sales phenomenon, with each year outselling the prior for 16 years running! |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love Marcia Naomi Berger, 2014-01-15 Most couples — because they watch so many of their peers divorce and are themselves the products of failed marriages — don't have many successful long-term-relationship role models. Parenting and communication issues are perennial, while some challenges, like increasingly 24-7 work lives and economic hardships, mark the current decade. Despite all this, psychotherapist and clinical social worker Marcia Naomi Berger asserts that most couples can make love last — they just need to learn how. Berger answers this need with a deceptively simple prescription: have an interruption-free thirty-minute (or even shorter) meeting each week and follow an agenda that includes the kind of appreciation and planning for fun that foster intimacy and pave the way for collaborative conflict resolution. Berger has refined these techniques while working with hundreds of couples — with results that are both practical and profound. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: How to Not Die Alone Logan Ury, 2021-02-02 A “must-read” (The Washington Post) funny and practical guide to help you find, build, and keep the relationship of your dreams. Have you ever looked around and wondered, “Why has everyone found love except me?” You’re not the only one. Great relationships don’t just appear in our lives—they’re the culmination of a series of decisions, including whom to date, how to end it with the wrong person, and when to commit to the right one. But our brains often get in the way. We make poor decisions, which thwart us on our quest to find lasting love. Drawing from years of research, behavioral scientist turned dating coach Logan Ury reveals the hidden forces that cause those mistakes. But awareness on its own doesn’t lead to results. You have to actually change your behavior. Ury shows you how. This “simple-to-use guide” (Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone) focuses on a different decision in each chapter, incorporating insights from behavioral science, original research, and real-life stories. You’ll learn: -What’s holding you back in dating (and how to break the pattern) -What really matters in a long-term partner (and what really doesn’t) -How to overcome the perils of online dating (and make the apps work for you) -How to meet more people in real life (while doing activities you love) -How to make dates fun again (so they stop feeling like job interviews) -Why “the spark” is a myth (but you’ll find love anyway) This “data-driven” (Time), step-by-step guide to relationships, complete with hands-on exercises, is designed to transform your life. How to Not Die Alone will help you find, build, and keep the relationship of your dreams. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Imago Relationship Therapy Mo Therese Hannah, 2005-03-11 Imago Relationship Therapy It's been more than three decades since Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt—the best-selling authors of Getting the Love You Want and Keeping the Love You Find—created Imago Relationship Therapy. Their concept of the conscious marriage introduced a new paradigm for understanding the dynamics of couples. Since that time more than two thousand clinicians in twenty-eight countries have adopted and implemented this highly effective form of couples therapy. This groundbreaking book offers an overview of the highly successful Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT) and the relationship of IRT with preceding schools of thought such as psychoanalytic theory, family systems theories, affect theory, and self-psychology. At the heart of IRT is a three-step process involving mirroring (reflecting) the partner's feelings, validating the partner's point of view, and expressing empathy toward the partner's feelings. Imago Relationship Therapy traces IRT's history and explosive growth and outlines the differences and similarities between Imago theory and other models of couples therapy. The book also presents some of the ideas of prominent Imago thinkers, such as the central role of connectivity and the problem of envy in committed relationships. A uniquely important book for the practitioner, which provides clinical wisdom and a rare look into the heart and soul of Imago Relationship Therapy. —Pat Love, Ed.D., author, The Truth About Love |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Hope-Focused Marriage Counseling Everett L. Worthington Jr., 2013-02-04 Everett L. Worthington Jr. offers a comprehensive manual for assisting couples over common rough spots and through serious problems in a manner that is compassionate, effective and brief. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: It Takes One to Tango Winifred M. Reilly, 2017-04-04 With a focus on self-empowerment and resilience, this refreshing and witty relationship guide has a reassuring counterintuitive message for unhappy spouses: you only need one partner to initiate far-reaching positive change in a marriage. Conventional wisdom says that “it takes two” to turn a troubled marriage around and that both partners must have a shared commitment to change. So when couples can’t agree on how—or whether—to make their marriage better, many give up or settle for a less-than-satisfying marriage (or think the only way out is divorce). Fortunately, there is an alternative. “What distinguishes Reilly’s book is that she says a warring couple don’t have to agree on the goal of staying together; it takes one person changing, not both, to make a marriage work” (The New York Times). Marriage and family therapist Winifred Reilly has this message for struggling partners: Take the lead. Doing so is effective—and powerful. Through Reilly’s own story of reclaiming her now nearly forty-year marriage, along with anecdotes from many clients she’s worked with, you’ll learn how to: -Focus on your own behaviors and change them in ways that make you feel good about yourself and your marriage -Take a firm stand for what truly matters to you without arguing, cajoling, or resorting to threats -Identify the “big picture” issues at the basis of your repetitive fights—and learn how to unhook from them -Be less reactive, especially in the face of your spouse’s provocations -Develop the strength and stamina to be the sole agent of change Combining psychological theory, practical advice, and personal narrative, It Takes One to Tango is a “wise and uplifting” (Dr. Ellyn Bader, Director of The Couples Institute) guide that will empower those who choose to take a bold, proactive approach to creating a loving and lasting marriage. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Eternity changes everything Stephen Witmer, 2014-02-03 Thrills Christians about their eternal future, and shows how that future changes their present. Our view of the future affects how we feel and act in the present. Stephen Witmer excites us about where the world is heading, gives certainty about where we as individuals are heading, and thrills us about how eternity really does change everything in our daily lives. If you are worried about your future... or if your future doesn't seem to make any difference to your now... or if you simply want to get more excited about where you will spend eternity... read this book! |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: 40 Day Intimacy Challenge For Couples Blue Rock Workbooks, 2019-11-04 Use This Intimacy Couples Challenge To Take Your Relationship To The Next Level Relationships can be tough, especially marriages with kids. Life gets in the way, and time for each other decreases. Enter the 40 Day Intimacy Challenge! This challenge can be done every day, or every 2 days, or even weekly. You must be consistent however. Each day there is a new conversation starter or activity to complete, and a page for each of you to reflect on that conversation or activity. This challenge is designed to spark conversation, romance, and sexuality! What Kinds Of Challenges Can You Expect? Talk about goals Massages for each other Cooking together Flirty texts Dates Cuddling Sex & More! |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Passion and Presence Maci Daye, 2020-10-20 Awaken your mindful sensuality and reconnect with your partner with Passion and Presence. Most romantic relationships follow a predictable pattern of initial enchantment followed by inevitable disenchantment. But relationships don't have to stay in disenchantment or end! Passion and Presence offers readers a proven path back to connection and intimacy--often in deeper ways than before. Sex therapist Maci Daye draws on her popular international Passion and Presence workshops to show couples how their erotic difficulties can be a portal to creativity, compassion, and unparalleled growth. Exercises and reflections guide readers down what Daye calls the naked path of awakened intimacy. On this path, we courageously examine ourselves, our barriers, and our relationship patterns, ultimately finding fresh ways to heal and connect, and revitalize eros. With gentle clarity, Daye addresses the everyday challenges of real life sex, such as sex that has become routine, differences in preferences or desire, power struggles, a history of trauma, changes ranging from childbirth to aging, infidelity, communication challenges, and more. Engaging stories depicting couples of diverse ages, backgrounds, genders, and orientations illustrate how the practice of Passion and Presence can help any couple establish a more intimate and wakeful erotic life. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy For Dummies Brent Bradley, James Furrow, 2013-07-15 A practical, down-to-earth guide to using the world's most successful approach to couple therapy One of the most successful therapeutic approaches to healing dysfunctional relationships, emotionally focused couple therapy provides clients with powerful insights into how and why they may be suppressing their emotions and teaches them practical ways to deal with those feelings more constructively for improved relationships. Unlike cognitive-behavioural therapy, which provides effective short-term coping skills, emotionally focused therapy often is prescribed as a second-stage treatment for couples with lingering emotional difficulties. Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy For Dummies introduces readers to this ground-breaking therapy, offering simple, proven strategies and tools for dealing with problems with bonding, attachment and emotions, the universal cornerstones of healthy relationships. An indispensable resource for readers who would like to manage their relationship problems independently through home study Delivers powerful techniques for dealing with unpleasant emotions, rather than repressing them and for responding constructively to complex relationship issues The perfect introduction to EFT basics for therapists considering expanding their practices to include emotionally focused therapy methods Packed with fascinating and instructive case studies and examples of EFT in action, from the authors' case files Provides valuable guidance on finding, selecting and working with the right EFT certified therapist |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: ACT with Love Russ Harris, 2023-06-01 Build more compassionate, accepting, and loving relationships with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Let’s face it: Picture-perfect storybook romances don’t exist in real life. Couples fight. Feelings of love wax and wane through the years. And the stress and tedium of everyday life and work can often drive a wedge between even the most devoted couples. So, how can you reignite passion and intimacy in your relationship, cultivate greater understanding and compassion between yourself and your partner, and bring the joy back to your love life? In this fully revised and updated edition of ACT with Love, therapist and world-renowned ACT expert Russ Harris shows how developing psychological flexibility—the ability to be in the present moment with openness, awareness, and focus, and to take effective action in line with one's values—can help you and your partner strengthen and deepen your relationship. Also included is new information on attachment theory, powerful mindfulness and self-compassion techniques, and assertiveness and boundary-setting skills. ACT with Love will show you how to: Let go of conflict, open up, and live fully in the present Use mindfulness to increase intimacy, connection, and understanding Resolve painful conflicts and reconcile long-standing differences Act on your values to build a rich and meaningful relationship If you’re looking to increase feelings of intimacy, love, and connection with your partner, this book has everything you need to get started—together. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Wired for Love Stan Tatkin, 2024-06-01 Invaluable for so many partners looking to reconnect and grow closer together. —Gwyneth Paltrow, founder and CEO of goop Stan Tatkin can be entirely followed into the towering infernos of our most painful relationship challenges. —Alanis Morissette, artist, activist, and wholeness advocate The complete “insider’s guide” to understanding your partner’s brain, sparking lasting connection, and enjoying a romantic relationship built on love and trust—now with more than 170,000 copies sold. “What the heck is my partner thinking?” “Why do they always react like this?” “How can we get back that connection we had in the beginning?” If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, you aren’t alone, and it doesn’t mean that your relationship is doomed. Every person is wired for love differently—with different habits, needs, and reactions to conflict. The good news is that most people’s minds work in predictable ways and respond well to security, attachment, and routines, making it possible to neurologically prime the brain for greater love and connection and fewer conflicts. This go-to guide will show you how. Drawn from neuroscience, attachment theory, and emotion regulation, this highly anticipated second edition of Wired for Love presents cutting-edge research on how and why love lasts, and offers ten guiding principles that can improve any relationship. This fully revised and updated edition also includes new guidance on how to manage disagreements, as well as new exercises to help you create a sense of safety and security, establish healthy conflict ground rules, and deal with the threat of the third—any outside source which threatens the harmony in your relationship, including in-laws, alcohol, children, and affairs. You’ll find proven-effective strategies to help you strengthen your relationship by: Creating and maintaining a safe “couple bubble” Using morning and evening routines to stay connected Learning how to see your partner’s point of view Meeting each other halfway in a fight Becoming the expert on what makes your partner feel loved By using simple gestures and words, you’ll learn to put out emotional fires and help your partner feel appreciated and loved. You’ll also discover how to move past a “warring brain” mentality and toward a more cooperative “loving brain.” Most importantly, you’ll gain a better understanding of the complex dynamics at work behind love and trust in intimate relationships. While there’s no doubt that love is an inexact science, if you understand how you and your partner are wired differently, you can overcome your differences, and create a lasting intimate connection. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Couples Counseling Marina Iandoli Williams Lmhc, Marina Williams, 2012-05-14 A session by session guide book for mental health practitioners on how to conduct evidence-based couples counseling. The book guides the therapist step by step through twelve sessions, and covers everything from the very first client phone call all the way through termination. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Magnetic Partners Stephen Betchen, 2010-05-18 Do you and your partner argue about the same things over and over again? Are you often confused about why your partner is so angry with you? Are things getting worse and worse even though you’ve tried everything you can think of to make them better? In this breakthrough guide to repairing romantic relationships, therapist and marriage researcher Dr. Stephen Betchen presents a powerful new explanation of what leads to this kind of escalating conflict in couples and how you can repair your relationship and find a whole new level of happiness. Based on his extensive experience as a couples’ therapist, Dr. Betchen has discovered that the prevailing idea that opposites attract is wrong. Instead, one of the strongest forces that attracts people to one another is that they share a hidden, inner conflict in their lives—an unconscious struggle within themselves that each of them developed growing up—which he calls a master conflict. The fact that a couple shares a master conflict acts as an almost magnetic force of attraction, but, over time, master conflicts often begin to push a pair apart—many of the very things you most appreciated about each other start to grate on you, producing increasing hostility. The good news is that by identifying the master conflict that you share, you and your partner can take the steps to break the cycle of fighting and come to a new place of understanding and happiness in your relationship. Often, just the realization that you have this hidden conflict acts as a powerful cure, allowing you to appreciate each other once again and to be empathetic about the things that have been irritating you both. From his years of work with couples, Betchen has identified the nineteen most common master conflicts—such as getting your needs met vs. caretaking; giving vs. withholding; commitment vs. freedom; power vs. passivity—and for each he provides vivid stories of couples who have struggled with them, as well as simple tests that help you to: • Identify the core master conflict that is causing your relationship problems • Understand the origins of your conflict and how it drew you to your partner • Diagnose how the conflict is now pushing you apart • Come to new terms with the conflict to save your relationship As Dr. Betchen writes, knowledge of a master conflict is power, and Magnetic Partners is an empowering guide that will help you not only to identify and control your master conflict, but also to bring your relationship to a new level based on deeper understanding, ultimately leading to greater fulfillment and long-term resilience. Partners |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy: A Therapist's Guide to Creating Acceptance and Change, Second Edition Andrew Christensen, Brian D. Doss, Neil S. Jacobson, 2020-09-15 The definitive therapist manual for Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT)—one of the most empirically supported approaches to couple therapy. Andrew Christensen, codeveloper (along with the late Neil Jacobson) of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy, and Brian Doss provide an essential manual for their evidence-based practice. The authors offer guidance on formulation, assessment, and feedback of couples’ distress from an IBCT perspective. They also detail techniques to achieve acceptance and deliberate change. In this updated edition of the work, readers learn about innovations to the IBCT approach in the 20+ years since the publication of the original edition—including refinements of core therapeutic techniques. Additionally, this edition provides new guidance on working with diverse couples, complex clinical issues, and integrating technology into a course of treatment. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: DIY Sex and Relationship Therapy Lori Boul, 2012-11-06 This book provides a comprehensive, professional 'tool kit' that will help you: - Learn how to resolve sexual and relationship problems - Discover new techniques to improve your relationship - Practise skills that can protect your relationship - Put romance, fun and passion back into your life Drawing on her wide professional experience, Dr Lori Boul provides authentic therapy techniques in an accessible, easy to follow, step-by-step layout that can be practised effectively at home. Full of practical exercises and innovative techniques, DIY Therapy will give you the skills you need to improve your relationship without the expense of face-to-face counselling. You will be guided through a programme of relationship and sex therapy sessions that will help you overcome your difficulties, recapture fun and romance and ensure the changes you make will truly last. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Techniques for the Couple Therapist Gerald R. Weeks, Stephen T. Fife, Colleen M. Peterson, 2016-03-22 Techniques for the Couple Therapist features many of the most prominent psychotherapists today, presenting their most effective couple therapy interventions. This book provides clinicians with a user-friendly quick reference with an array of techniques that can be quickly read and immediately used in session. The book includes over 50 chapters by experts in the field on the fundamental principles and techniques for effective couple therapy. Many of the techniques focus on common couple therapy processes such as enactments, communication, and reframing. Others focus on specific presenting problems, such as trauma, sexual issues, infidelity, intimate partner violence, and high conflict. Students, beginning therapists, and seasoned clinicians will find this pragmatic resource invaluable in their work with couples. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Emotionally Focused Therapy Workbook for Couples Eolande Helen Blackwood, 2024-03-12 Emotionally Focused Workbook for Couples: A 52-Week Workbook to Deepen Bond and Rediscover Love Emotionally Focused Therapy activities for couples Rediscover the Essence of Love, Week by Week. Every relationship deserves a chance to flourish, to experience the highs of emotional bonding, and to find solace in each other's arms. Introducing a 52-week journey that's meticulously crafted for couples seeking to fortify their bond, revive their passion, and embrace a deeper understanding of one another. Features of This Comprehensive Workbook: A Year of Emotional Exploration: Engage in a structured, week-by-week roadmap, designed to address various facets of love, commitment, trust, and mutual growth. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) at Its Best: A pioneering approach in couples therapy, EFT principles guide every exercise, ensuring each activity is rooted in proven therapeutic methodologies. Reignite the Spark: Traverse this journey to not only revisit the foundational pillars of your relationship but to fan the flames of passion, reminding you both why you fell in love in the first place. Reflective Journaling Spaces: Every section provides ample space for you to jot down your feelings, epiphanies, and the cherished moments that become milestones in your love journey. Bonding Exercises and Activities: Dive deep into specially curated activities that challenge, inspire, and bring couples closer than ever before. The Emotionally Focused Workbook for Couples isn't just another relationship guide. It's a voyage, a dedication to the sanctity of love and the promises made. As weeks unfold, find yourselves more attuned, more in love, and more connected. Key Points: 52-week couples therapy workbook - A comprehensive guide providing weekly exercises for couples to enhance their communication, understanding, and relationship. Emotionally Focused Therapy activities for couples - Activities based on EFT principles to help couples better understand their emotions, improve emotional intelligence, and foster a deeper emotional connection. Workbook for rediscovering love in marriage - A practical guide that helps couples reignite the passion and love in their marriage through various exercises and activities. Year-long relationship building exercises for couples - A series of exercises specifically designed to strengthen the bond between couples over the course of a year. EFT principles in couples bonding journey - The application of Emotionally Focused Therapy principles in helping couples navigate their relationship, fostering greater emotional bonding. Guided journal for couples to strengthen bond - A journal with guided prompts aimed at facilitating open communication, understanding, and strengthening the bond between couples. Yearly relationship roadmap for deepening love - A step-by-step guide for couples, providing a roadmap to deepen their love and intimacy over a year through various activities and exercises. Take the first step towards a profound journey of love and understanding. Because your love story deserves to be celebrated, cherished, and deeply felt. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Clinical Casebook of Couple Therapy Alan S. Gurman, 2012-11-26 An ideal supplemental text, this instructive casebook presents in-depth illustrations of treatment based on the most important couple therapy models. An array of leading clinicians offer a window onto how they work with clients grappling with mild and more serious clinical concerns, including conflicts surrounding intimacy, sex, power, and communication; parenting issues; and mental illness. Featuring couples of varying ages, cultural backgrounds, and sexual orientations, the cases shed light on both what works and what doesn't work when treating intimate partners. Each candid case presentation includes engaging comments and discussion questions from the editor. See also Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy, Fourth Edition, also edited by Alan S. Gurman, which provides an authoritative overview of theory and practice. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Sensate Focus in Sex Therapy Linda Weiner, Constance Avery-Clark, 2017-02-24 Sensate Focus in Sex Therapy: The Illustrated Manual is an illustrated manual that provides health professionals with specific information on the use of the structured touching opportunities used regularly by Sexologists to address their clients’ sexual difficulties (Sensate Focus 1) and enhance intimate relationships (Sensate Focus 2). This book is the only one to: vividly describe and illustrate the specific steps of, activities involved in, and positions associated with Sensate Focus; emphasize the purpose of Sensate Focus as a mindfulness-based practice; and distinguish between the purposes of Sensate Focus 1 and Sensate Focus 2. Through the use of artful drawings and descriptive text, this manual engages mental health and medical professionals and their clients by appealing to both the visual and the analytical. It discusses how modifications to Sensate Focus can be applied to diverse populations, such as LGBTQ clients, the elderly, the disabled, trauma survivors, and those with challenges such as Autism Spectrum, anxiety, and depression. The book also offers suggestions for dealing with common client difficulties such as avoidance, confusion, and goal directed attitudes. This comprehensive approach to Sensate Focus will remind readers of the beauty and power of touch while offering suggestions for moving from avoidance to sensory transcendence. |
| couples therapy intimacy activities: Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy Alan S. Gurman, Jay L. Lebow, Douglas K. Snyder, 2015-06-02 This book has been replaced by Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy, Sixth Edition, edited by Jay L. Lebow and Douglas K. Snyder, ISBN 978-1-4625-5012-8. |
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