Relationship Reset
Secrets from a Couples Therapist That Will Revolutionize Your Love for a Lifetime
This book will be an asset to anyone in a committed relationship.
Relationship Reset by Jen Elmquist takes a can-do approach to healthy relationships. Right from the start, Elmquist dispels the myth of the perfect couple and invites couples to come as they are. She begins by examining the cycles, patterns, and styles that make each relationship unique. After establishing this foundational understanding, she breaks down how couples can change the course of their relationships for the better. The book closes with practices to solidify and deepen this new normal, setting couples on the path of continual, healthy change.
Elmquist opens with the question, “What is normal?” She crafts a welcoming approach that shows couples they’re not alone in their challenges—others in similar situations have also begun the path to change. Her approach is empowering, positive, and practical. Her insights are particularly valuable for building strong relationships by stopping problems before they start—a compelling promise.
The book is rooted in both individual and relational growth. Anyone can change, it argues, but you cannot change alone. Elmquist encourages humility and helps people overcome the fear of vulnerability; she uses relatable success stories to do this. By showing how small actions have big results, she presents a program of manageable changes that have far-reaching outcomes: better self-image, more productive conflict, healthier parenting, lower stress, and more.
Her straightforward approach cuts through reluctance to get help, shunning counseling jargon and the overuse of emotion in order to be the very best that a self-help work can be: a vehicle of pity- and condescension-free empowerment. Elmquist’s book is no-nonsense without being brusque, giving common excuses and roadblocks their just due and no more.
The depth of insight in the book speaks to Elmquist’s vast experience with helping couples. Her credentials show themselves discreetly yet compellingly through her compassion, wisdom, and practical examples. While she speaks from her professional experience, her voice is the voice of a person, not a practitioner.
The question sections function like a workbook to help couples and individuals reflect and set intentions for the future. They provide a natural and much-needed pause, urging people to apply what they’re learning.
This book will be an asset to anyone in a committed relationship. It will be particularly valuable for those in newer relationships who want to build a solid foundation, but even seasoned couples with decades of dysfunction under their belts will find help and hope, provided they are open to growth and are willing to change.
Relationship Reset gives every couple what they need to be their best, as individuals and as a pair.
Reviewed by
Melissa Wuske
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
