The Power of Two: Secrets to a Strong and Loving Marriage

Dear Dr. Heitler: I live in New York. The purpose of this e-mail is to say thank you for all of your help during a difficult time in my life. I have spent the last two years trying to figure out what I am looking for and how to have a healthy relationship. I went through a long healing process and think I am ready to get back in to dating. I am going to re-read your book because I think it is the best book I have read in how to have a successful relationship. Thank you again for all of your help. Regards, Bruce

I don't really think I got married BECAUSE of the book. But after I read the book, I finally could see that it was possible to be married, remain an individual, and still have a deep and meaningful relationship. If you think marriage takes away your independence, read this book--it empowers you.

Reading this book I finally can understand why my husband and I fight, and how to keep our marriage more peaceful. People shouldn't be allowed to get a marriage license until they read this book.

Great present for newlyweds and engaged couples. I wish I had this book when I was first married.

My husband and I have been married for several years, and while we've never doubted our love for one another, we have doubted the potential for a happy, peaceful, serene marriage because we ARGUE! And when I say argue, I do mean we have arguments--the hair-pulling, teeth-gnashing, kind that makes you want to just stick your fingers in your ear and hum loudly! We both read this book, and it taught us how to argue effectively, in such a way that hostility and resentment doesn't build up, and perhaps most importantly, we hear and listen to each other. The book is absolutely wonderful because it not only explains effective ways to communicate, it gives plenty of examples which show you how to apply the principles of effective arguing (this is not an oxymoron!) to your own unique situation. We had gone to two different therapists before I purchased this book--neither therapist helped. That may have been in part because my husband, an English professor (you know how English professors have reputations as being arrogant and at times condescending), would actually roll his eyes when met with the pop-psychology jargon-laden advice we were given. So you can see he wasn't exactly receptive to the idea of marriage counseling. My husband, who has willfully apotheosized Freud, could not brook what he regarded as heinous misapplication of Herr Sigmund's genius. _The Power of Two_, however, while in no way abstruse, certainly cannot be dismissed by those mates who feel they are "smarter" than the "foolish" "therapists" writing so many of the relationship books, and therefore, they dismiss them. So if you have a mate who would be reluctant to read a book because his erudition could not tolerate the subpar directives issued by these therapists, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!! We still have arguments, but they've drastically reduced in frequency, and because our arguments are handled in the ways Heitler suggests (which are, by the way, situation appropriate--there's no one way to handle an argument), we are able to communicate and hear each other without resorting to the frustrated voice raising that typically occurred. Also, when we are done discussing the issue at hand, we both feel relieved and satisfied rather than still irritated and frustrated like we would before. I highly recommend this book for the couple who is having trouble communicating effectively--if you feel you are not being heard, and are not hearing your mate; if you feel that you never really get an apology even when your mate apologizes; if you feel that your problems are never really resolved, but just go under the surface, then THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!! I just can't recommend this book highly enough. It's just wonderful.