Peace in the Heart and Home

Most people find it very difficult to manage relationships and the emotions they provoke. Instead of home being a place of peace, it is too often a source of hurt and deprivation. Disappointment, loneliness, fear, frustration and stress take a high toll on people's functioning and quality of life. Marital discord and family conflict prevent family members from experiencing a safe haven. As a result, depression, anxiety, panic, phobias, compulsions, addictions and attention problems are practically epidemic in our society. It is common for the average person to turn to medications and over-the-counter substances to manage a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms. Serious health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, sleep disorders, migraines, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue interfere with feelings of competence, self-worth and peace. Fortunately, scientific research and knowledge have been proliferating in the past few decades, helping us to understand the brain, attachment relationships and their interplay with physical and mental health. We now know how to prevent and heal the relationship stress and trauma that is at the root of most of the above-mentioned conditions. Also, mental health and marriage and family practitioners have been learning how to help couples create secure attachment bonds with each other and their children. Peace in the Heart and Home provides a clear and accessible overview of the dynamics that overwhelm the average person, couple and family. It takes the mystery out of their struggles. The book then provides abundant, explicit advice and a wide array of effective skills, resources and methods for managing emotions, healing trauma, building self-awareness and fostering effective and fulfilling relationships. Peace in the Heart and Home is the manual on life and relationships that so many have been wishing they had. A multitude of memorable anecdotes, metaphors and quotations bring the material to life and will resonate with readers' most meaningful experiences. This book will also benefit helping professionals as they develop a deeper understanding of the most powerful dynamics and practices that foster wellbeing.