For Better or for Better: The Paradox of Love and Marriage

For all those in a long-term intimate relationship, or want to be, this book is for you! To quote fellow Irish writer Oscar Wild (1892), "There are only two tragedies in life – one is losing the one you love and the other is winning the one you love." It's all so paradoxical!Based on decades of working with couples, the author walks you through the essentials for developing a relationship based on love, caring, and trust. While many clients declare that they love each other, the question is, do they care about each other! Falling in love is easy, but this can only be sustained through caring and understanding. Comprehending the complexity of compatibility gives the couple better odds than simply riding waves of emotionality. Feeling certain in your connection with each other provides a secure base (harbour) for the "relation-ship" and prepares the couple for the inevitable waves and gales ahead. Love is a process of commitment in which both shipmates know that their partner is there for them, despite the unavoidable mixed feelings about each other. This book may act as a foundational primer of how intimate adult relationships work, covering topics like communication, attachment, personality, emotional needs, boundaries and conflict resolution. A conscious (responsive) relationship will always do so much better than an unconscious (reactive) one.