FIGHTING FOR YOUR MARRIAGE
POSITIVE STEPS FOR PREVENTING DIVORCE
AND BUILDING A LASTING LOVE
A must-read!
“It’s rare that a scientifically verified program is actually so successful. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in helping or understanding relationships.”
--John Gottman
author of Fight Right
Based on over 40 years of research, Fighting for Your Marriage helps couples to talk more and fight less, protect their friendship, keep the fun alive, and preserve and deepen commitment. Now updated with cutting edge research and issues facing today’s couples, this definitive text reveals what it takes to rekindle a lackluster relationship and bridge the emotional distance that can grow between partners. The authors have included a wealth of proven techniques and down-to-earth guidance for all couples wanting more happiness and connection and less conflict.
This invaluable book will help couples:
· Learn the ABC’s of how to resolve conflicts constructively
· Discover the most effective tool for averting heated arguments while increasing mutual understanding
· Dissolve power imbalances when one partner is more invested than the other
· Set priorities and find work/life balance, particularly in families with children
· Navigate the stressors that arise from technology, such as what to share, time spent online, and the challenges associated with social media
· Learn what it takes to have a more intimate, sensual relationship and enhance desire
· Learn three keys that provide anchors to all the core strategies taught in the book:
- Make it safe to connect.
- Do your part.
- Decide, don’t slide.
The 4th edition of Fighting for Your Marriage has been substantially updated with advice for couples from a wide range of backgrounds and stages —anyone interested in lasting love. It includes updated themes such as dealing with today’s issues (such as cultural and political differences), up-to-date research, and the latest take on time-tested strategies to help couples.
Fighting for Your Marriage is based on the widely acclaimed PREP approach (Prevention and Relationship Education Program). Research has found that this approach can help couples handle conflict more constructively, protect their happiness, and reduce the odds of divorce.
Howard J Markman, Ph.D.
Howard J. Markman, Ph.D., is a distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Denver. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association Division of Family Psychology and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. His awards include the Distinguished Contributions to Family Therapy Research Award from American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
Dr. Markman is the founder of the internationally known evidence-based couples relationship education program, PREP (Prevention and Relationship Education Program). The PREP program is widely used in the US military and in more than fifteen countries around the world. PREP has been cited by the CDC as a research-based program that can prevent or ameliorate inter-partner violence.
Dr. Markman is one of the leading researchers in the areas of couples, marriage, divorce prevention, and couples relationship education and therapy in the world. He has written more than one hundred books and scientific articles in the couples and family field including earlier editions of the bestselling couples relationship education book, Fighting for Your Marriage. He has numerous grants with the University of Denver and has a practice in couples relationship education and couples therapy
Dr. Markman has appeared in national media, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, 20/20, the New York Times, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and NPR, and is available to give talks and workshops.
Scott M. Stanley, Ph.D.
Scott M. Stanley, Ph.D., is a research professor at the University of Denver. He has published extensively on subjects including commitment, cohabitation, relationship development, and the prevention of relationship distress. Along with colleagues Dr. Howard Markman, Dr. Galena Rhoades, and Dr. Elizabeth Allen, Dr. Stanley has conducted research on relationship education since the early 1980s, mostly funded by grants (to one or more of these scholars) from the National Institutes of Health and the Administration for Children and Families. Dr. Stanley and Dr. Rhoades have conducted research focused on relationship development, cohabitation, and commitment, also funded by the National Institutes of Health. This line of research has influenced efforts to help individuals improve their relationship decision-making.
Dr. Stanley has regularly contributed to stories in major media outlets as an expert on relationships. Dr. Markman and Dr. Stanley co-own the PREP Companies, an enterprise founded with the goal of disseminating research-informed and evidence-based relationship education materials. Dr. Stanley publishes blog articles in a number of outlets including at slidingvsdeciding.com.
Galena K. Rhoades, Ph.D.
Galena K. Rhoades, Ph.D., is a research professor and the director of the Institute for Relationship Science in the Department of Psychology at the University of Denver. Her research focuses on romantic relationship formation processes, such as dating and living together, and predictors of relationship success. She also conducts studies on the effectiveness of relationship interventions offered by community organizations across the United States. She has more than 140 publications in these areas.
Dr. Rhoades founded a nonprofit in Denver called Thriving Families. This organization offers MotherWise, a relationship education program for women during pregnancy and postpartum, as well as mental health services for families. Dr. Rhoades is also a practicing clinical psychologist. In her private practice, she primarily sees couples and families.
Janice R. Levine, Ph.D.
Janice R. Levine, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who specializes in couples relationships and family development. She received her undergraduate degree from Yale University and her graduate degrees from Harvard University, where she later joined the faculty in Psychology and was Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Levine is coauthor of the books Why Do Fools Fall in Love? and Beyond the Chuppah: A Jewish Guide to Happy Marriages, and is founder of The Couples Health Program, a nationally recognized curriculum that teaches couples how to achieve greater intimacy through communication and conflict-resolution skills. She is featured in the “Best in Massachusetts” magazine as a Top Doc.
Dr. Levine lectures nationally on all aspects of couples and family development, has hosted a Parent Education TV and Lecture Series, and has been a frequent contributor to major broadcast and print media. She is the founder of Partners for ACCESS, a nonprofit organization dedicated to growing a sustainable medical center in rural Uganda. A former concert violinist, Dr. Levine has two adult children with her husband of forty years, and currently lives in southern Maine.
Praise for Fighting for your marriage
“What distinguishes this 4th edition classic on marriage from other resources on marriage is the disclosure by the authors of the subtle but overlooked secret that ‘how’ couples deal with their differences is far more important than the issues themselves. Add emotional safety, intentional and timely engagement with the issues and taking responsibility for one’s role in conflict, and you have the perfect recipe for a thriving marriage. We recommend this book to ALL couples for research-based guidance they can trust, to all therapists who want to really help couples and to everyone who would like to know how successful intimate relationships work.”
—Harville Hendrix, PhD and Helen LaKelly Hunt, PhD, co-authors of the best seller Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples and co-creators of Imago Relationship therapy now practiced in over 60 countries
“In my decades-long work with couples, I often hear, ‘I wish marriages came with instructions.’ The good news? They do! In this updated edition of Fighting for Your Marriage, you’ll learn how to tackle the fundamental issues faced by all couples who are committed to keeping their relationships vibrant, as well as acquiring the necessary tools to deal with the unique challenges in our ever-changing culture. Best of all, this classic marriage-strengthening book is chock full of pragmatic and easy-to-understand advice for creating joyful, satisfying, and long-lasting relationships.”
—Michele Weiner-Davis, author of Healing from Infidelity. Michele@divorcebusting.com
“I work mostly with couples on the brink of divorce or, if not yet married, about to dissolve their relationship. Many have seen several couple therapists and found it unhelpful. Their #1 complaint? ‘The therapist didn’t teach us any skills or tools for getting along better.’ Based on decades of research, Markman, Stanley, Rhoades, and Levine spell out succinctly and compellingly the attitudes and skills couples need to have a happy, successful relationship. As with previous editions and now thoroughly updated, it will be the core text I share with couples and teach to my graduate trainees in couple therapy.”
—Peter Fraenkel, PhD, is Associate Professor at The City College of New York, former faculty at the Ackerman Institute for the Family and NYU Medical Center, and author of Last Chance Couple Therapy: Bringing Relationships Back from the Brink
“This guide to modern couple relationships for the 2020s and beyond is written by the A-team of couple relationship education. Based on 40+ years of research and practice with couples, they offer practical advice and tips for having a great relationship. Fighting for Your Marriage is easy to read with lots of suggested activities to build a great relationship.”
—Kim Halford, PhD, Professor of Clinical Psychology University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Where to purchase the book
