The Authentic Heart: An Eightfold Path to Midlife Love

ISBN-13: 9780471387572 / Angielski / Miękka / 2001 / 304 str.

John Amodeo

Opis

The richest, most fulfilling love of your life is yet to come

"The Authentic Heart offers practical, wise, and compassionate guidance for midlife love."--Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart and After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

"The Authentic Heart is a groundbreaking, insightful, warmly written book that I highly recommend to anyone wanting more loving, joyful relationships. John Amodeo addresses with great clarity, wisdom, and practicality the key steps that are necessary for building authentic, mature, loving connections--not only with others, but also with oneself."--John Bradshaw, New York Times bestselling author of Healing the Shame that Binds You

"Just what millions want to know--not only how to make love last but how to make lasting love new again and again. This warmhearted and clearheaded book is full of practical wisdom."--Gay Hendricks, Ph.D., and Kathlyn Hendricks, Ph.D., authors of Conscious Loving and The Conscious Heart

As you enter midlife, you may feel that something you've always longed for has never happened. Frustrated, you may give up on love or cling to young images of romantic love, hoping that another person will furnish happiness. You may experience a growing sense of depression, anxiety, or cynicism. But as psychotherapist and relationship expert Dr. John Amodeo explains, authentic love takes time and maturity. At midlife, you hold the extraordinary potential to become more fully awake and alive in your relationships than ever before. In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Amodeo helps you rediscover love at its best. You'll learn how to overcome the psychological obstacles that have kept you from developing satisfying relationships. And you'll learn the eight enriching steps that release your authentic self for the fullness of genuine connection. Whether you're seeking true love for the first time or wish to deepen the joy and meaning in your current relationship, The Authentic Heart guides you along the path to a more vibrant partnership in the prime of your life.

Spis treści

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

THE FIRST STEP: PREPARE YOUR UNDERSTANDING: FROM YOUNG LOVE TO MATURE LOVE.

New Beginnings.

Comparative Love 101.

THE SECOND STEP: IDENTIFY THE SHAME THAT KEEPS LOVE AWAY.

The Nature of Shame.

Your Inner Critic: The Voice of Shame.

THE THIRD STEP: SUMMON THE COURAGE TO AFFIRM THE AUTHENTIC YOU.

Getting to Authenticity.

Celebrate Your Authentic Self.

THE FOURTH STEP: RESPECT YOURSELF THROUGH BOUNDARIES.

Boundaries as a Foundation for Intimacy.

THE FIFTH STEP: PRACTICE SELF–SOOTHING AND SELF–CONNECTION.

The Softening Ingredient.

Focusing: A Path to Befriending Yourself.

Spiritual Self–Soothing.

THE SIX STEP: RESPECT OTHERS THROUGH KIND CONVERSATION.

Gentle Honesty.

Speak and Connect from Your Authentic Heart.

THE SEVENTH STEP: BUILD TRUST THROUGH A PROCESS COMMITMENT.

Being Committed to the Process.

The Key Ingredients of Trust.

THE EIGHT STEP: DEEPEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF LOVE AND SEXUALITY.

The Ingredients of Love.

A Deepening Sexuality.

Conclusion: Toward a Mature Spirituality.

References.

A Guide to Resources.

Index.

O autorze

JOHN AMODEO, Ph.D., with over twenty years of experience counseling clients, is the author of Love & Betrayal and Being Intimate. A former contributing editor for Yoga Journal, he has taught workshops and classes at Esalen Institute, the Omega Institute, the New York Open Center, and elsewhere. Dr. Amodeo has made appearances on CNN, CNBC, Donahue, and other national television and radio programs.