When we asked Dr. Matt McKay—coauthor of Messages: The Communication Skills Book, New Harbinger publisher, and psychologist in private practice—how many of his couples clients had communication problems, he answered without hesitation: 100 percent. Simply put, skill at communicating with others is the single largest determinant of anyone’s happiness, and success. Rewarding and lucrative careers, strong and lasting friendships, meaningful and satisfying romance all hang on this one uniquely human ability The original Messages taught you to listen well, disclose honestly, and express truthfully while communicating with others. This workbook helps you apply these skills specifically to different aspects of your life. Step-by-step worksheets, fill-in exercises, and case stories help you avoid communication pitfalls and make long-lasting, life-enhancing changes. The workbook extends the techniques of Messages to a wide range of situations: Exercises teach you to communciate with teens and children. They help facilitate partner understanding by exploring gender communication differences. The workbook guides you through challenging communication situations like talking through a power dynamic with a boss or a subordinate, with elders, or with people of different cultures. An important chapter applies emotion-regulation techniques from dialectical behavior therapy to communication, teaching you to express yourself effectively even when feeling emotionally unstable. Martha Davis, Ph.D., is a psychologist in the department of psychiatry of Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Santa Clara, CA, where she practices individual, couple, and group psychotherapy. She is the coauthor of Messages, Thoughts & Feelings, and The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook. Kim Paleg, Ph.D., is a practicing clinical psychologist specializing in couples and family therapy and codirector of the Redwood Center Psychology Associates, Inc., in Berkeley, CA. She is coauthor of several relationship self-help books, including Couple Skills and When Anger Hurts Your Relationship. Patrick Fanning is a professional writer in the mental health field and the founder of a men’s support group in Northern California. He is the coauthor of eight self-help books, including: Messages, Self-Esteem, Thoughts and Feelings, and Couple Skills.
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