Category Archives: Teaching marriage communication and conflict resolution

Effective Apologies: A Quick Guide to the Key Ingredients

To fully clean up distressed feelings an apology needs to include the following ingredients. 1.  Specificity: “I’m sorry about my ______.”  That is, specify exactly what you did that you see now was mistaken. 2.  Non-intentionality: “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” 3.  Clarification:  What was your miss – the mistake, misperception, misunderstanding, miscommunication, mishap, […]

The Win-Win Waltz: A Strategy for Conflict Resolution and Shared Problem-Solving

Couples often seek information on how to fix a relationship, how to communicate with your spouse, how to handle marriage problems, and how to save a marriage. They are wise to seek out this kind of information, especially about skills for communication in marriage. Most of all they need conflict resolution skills for collaboratively finding win-win solutions to their differences.

Teaching Marriage Skills

Susan Heitler, Ph.D: To be published in the forthcoming book Earning a Living Outside of Managed Care: Fifty Ways to Leave Your Oppressor, Steve Walfish, ed. I am a psychologist in private practice whose marriage therapy treatment strategy includes a heavy dose of marriage skills training. I write books for marriage therapists and for couples. I have […]

On Borderlines and Narcissistics: A Marriage Skills Alternative to Pathologization

By Susan Heitler, Ph.D., author, From Conflict to Resolution www.therapyhelp.com For therapy with the so-called personality disorders of borderlines and narcissists, a non-pathologizing orientation can be helpful. These are folks who function in a borderline or narcissistic matter, that is, in a way that is emotionally stormy and ‘all about me.’ In both syndromes, the folks are not […]

Marriage Education with Power of Two for Refugees

Power of Two Marriage Skills Workshops And Its Use with Refugees Susan Heitler, M.Ed., Ph.D.                      Tatyana Fertelmeyster, MA, LCPC Private Practice                               Jewish Family and Community Service Denver, CO     […]