The High-Conflict Couple Audiobook By Alan E. Fruzzetti PhD cover art

The High-Conflict Couple

A Dialectical Behavior Therapy Guide to Finding Peace, Intimacy, and Validation

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The High-Conflict Couple

By: Alan E. Fruzzetti PhD
Narrated by: Vanessa Daniels
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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. 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.

©2006 Alan E. Fruzzetti (P)2016 Tantor Marriage & Long-Term Partnerships Relationships Thought-Provoking Marriage Help

Critic reviews

"Fruzzetti's focused use of the specialized dialectical behavior therapy makes his book unique in the couples-therapy field and recommends it for larger public libraries." ( Library Journal)
Practical Relationship Strategies • Valuable Communication Insights • Helpful Validation Techniques • Helpful Content
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practical but also deep and thought provoking.
I read as a clinician in a DBT skills group. it’s prob better for the clinician then a recommendation to a patient. enjoy.

practical and deep

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Recommended to anyone not just couples with problems. I'll listen to it again. Great purchase!

Loved it

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To the audiobook. Despite the narration, the content is worth the read if you are seeking advice on how to navigate a 'high conflict' relationship. The authors provide insights into the various dynamics at play in such relationships and offer practical strategies for improving communication and resolving conflict. Additionally, the book offers guidance on how to cope with and self-regulate in the midst of high conflict situations. Overall, despite the dry narration, the book offers valuable insights and strategies for anyone struggling with communication, letting go of past, resentment, loving unconditionally, and so much more.

Good advice, good book, narrator will put you😴

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Every Morning I listen to this audiobook while getting ready for work. I have been in couples therapy for 1.5 years with a man that is bipolar and has a personality disorder. This book has been perfect in getting my own self esteem back on track.
It teaches you how to stay present remembering that your partner is the one you love, no mater what. I do recommend this book to couples that spend time, energy, blaming, returning to past events letting go and seeing the big picture

A Audiobook to listen to many times over

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not for easy listening. Take slow, pay attention, test, apply, repeat. re-listen if necessary. Must have!!for seemingly "overly emotional" people and their partners.

very insightful and helpful into self and partner

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It is helping me change my marriage and myself. Love this book. Recommend it to anyone going through a difficult time in relationship. Wonderful narrator. Thank you.

Truly helpful amazing book for a struggling couple

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We really enjoyed the discussions even when it wasn't a perfect description of our situation it gave information that was impossible to deny it would help us. this was a great place start before counseling.

Perfect save for my marriage.

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I always was blaming my partner for things he didn’t do. This book made me see it in a different light. I can’t wait to apply the things I learned into our life because I don’t want to give up on our relationship.
Thank you so much for this book!!

Shocked

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This book is wonderful! It helps reveal the source of the problems within relationships, but then goes on to provide steps to take and practice to achieve the closeness we desire with each other. Highly recommended!

Lots of practical practice exercises

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I expected better for someone that worked so close to Marsha Lineham herself. In my opinion the exercises and examples were not very useful and the narrator made everything a million times worse. I would suggest listening to a sample before buying and figuring out if you will be able to tolerate Vanessa's reading where she ENUNCIATES every SENTENCE as if it were CRUCIAL. Every-single-sentence. Too much. Some advice was useful though, like how important validation is, and the "practice in your head how you are going to respond to conflict with validation before you actually do it in real life" and the "accept what you cannot change by changing its meaning". If you are an avid reader, you might not lose to much by buying it and maybe gain some, but if this is the only book you are going to read about couples, I suggest looking for another book.

Some parts are good, but expected better

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