The Power of Discord:
why the ups and downs of relationships are the secret to building intimacy, resilience, and trust
The Power of Discord:
why the ups and downs of relationships are the secret to building intimacy, resilience, and trust
Overview
How can we create more meaningful and intimate connections with our loved-ones? By using moments of discord to strengthen our relationships, explains this original, deeply researched book.
You might think that perfect harmony is the defining characteristic of a good relationship, but the truth is that human interactions are messy, complicated, and confusing.
The good news, however, is that we are wired to deal with this from birth — and even to grow from it and use it to strengthen our relationships, according to renowned psychologist Ed Tronick and paediatrician Claudia Gold. Scientific research — including Dr Tronick’s famous ‘Still-Face Experiment’ — has shown that working through mismatch and repair in everyday life helps us form deep, lasting, trusting relationships; resilience in times of stress and trauma; and a solid sense of self in the world.
This refreshing and original look at our ability to relate to others and to ourselves offers a new way for us to think about our relationships, and will reassure you that conflict is both normal and healthy, building the foundation for stronger connections.
Details
- Format
- Size
- Extent
- ISBN
- RRP
- Pub date
- Paperback
- 234mm x 153mm
- 288 pages
- 9781913348564
- GBP£16.99
- 13 August 2020
Praise
‘This profoundly wise book sets out how the dance of connection and disconnection with attachment figures molds our nervous system, our emotional lives, our sense of self, and our ability to dance in tune with others. When we miss each other is when we truly learn to turn, reach, and connect. There are no slick tips for perfect relationships with your kids or lovers here. Just a deep understanding of how the imperfections of life and love can make us strong.’
‘In this fabulous book, which everyone must own, Ed Tronick and Claudia Gold give all of us a scientifically-based compass for negotiating the messiness of social interaction. Rather than searching for perfection, in this book they teach us that it is the messiness and the mistakes we inevitably make as parents, friends, and lovers, and the repair of our mistakes that really matters. For in repair we ‘co-create a new meaning,’ and relationships thrive and proceed, full of life and good enough. Get this book!’
About the Authors
Dr Ed Tronick is a developmental and clinical psychologist, and the co-founder of the Child Development Unit at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Touchpoints program. He is a distinguished professor of psychology and director of the Infant-Parent Mental Health program at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and a research associate in newborn medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Dr Claudia M. Gold is a paediatrician and writer. She has practised general and behavioural paediatrics for 25 years, and specialises in early childhood mental health. She is the author of several books, including Keeping Your Child in Mind and The Silenced Child.