Fight Your Way to a Better Marriage: How Healthy Conflict Can Take You to Deeper Levels of Intimacy

Based on years of counseling, research, and success stories, Dr. Greg Smalley teaches us how to use marital conflict as a way to deepen and strengthen our relationships.In this counterintuitive book, author Dr. Greg Smalley maintains that fighting is actually good for a marriage. When couples fight, they have the opportunity to get to the real issue that is lurking below the surface of fights about money, sex, in-laws, kids, etc. And that real issue, Dr. Smalley says, is fear—fear of rejection, inadequacy, or powerlessness, to name a few. What assuages these fears are things like intimacy, respect, validation, love, and connection. Learning to take advantage of the opportunity that conflict provides is what this book is all about. The good news of Fight Your Way to a Better Marriage is that conflict—when handled correctly—is the doorway to intimacy and understanding. As Dr. Smalley leads readers through the many faces of conflict, he is open and candid about his own marriage and the unproductive fights he and his wife have had. He uses his fears and emotional triggers as examples to help readers discover their own. Couples will learn how to fight their way to a better marriage, using the skills, concepts, and exercises shared in this remarkable book.