“Dialogue Therapy is groundbreaking. The concept of Dialogue Therapy is based on years of experience in the field, and research on the trend that couples therapy often fails because couples develop a dependence on the therapist and leave therapy without the skills they need. The brilliant thing about Dialogue Therapy is that it attends to the notion of learning — along with the therapist or therapists — how to be together, how to resolve issues in the relationship and how to move forward in love and goodwill. It is a profound way to work that deserves our attention.
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“We live – politically and psychologically — in a world of deaf ears, isolated silos, and grotesque caricature. For democracy to survive, we need to find ways to listen deeply, see others’ points of view, respect differences, and generate creative dialogue. In this exciting and ground-breaking book, Pieniadz and Young-Eisendrath describe the conceptual and practical tools this requires. Elegantly eclectic, they integrate ideas from psychoanalysis, feminism, psychodrama, attachment theory, and Buddhism. Central to their practice are attentive witnessing, dialogic space, and validation of autonomy. Real Dialogue has implications that extend far beyond couple therapy to conflict resolution and political change. Beautifully and accessibly written, it will appeal to a wide audience of both professional and lay readers.”

“Responsibility for understanding others starts with the individual, and this book shines a light on tools to help in healing the rifts in communication, whether between couples or in the society as a whole.

The authors reflect on the important need for a new understanding between partners, given evolving ideas about modern relationships as equal partnerships. In using Dialogue Therapy, Dr. Pieniadz and Dr. Young-Eisendrath avail themselves of multiple perspectives, including Buddhism and psychoanalysis, to help couples fulfill their needs for love, but also the need for their own individual growth.

The authors’ knowledge of psychoanalytic ideas of projection and projective identification describes how outmoded and unconscious ways of relating, “rooted in early family life,” can obstruct real communication. Achieving true intimacy in relationships remains a challenge for many couples, but the authors provide a necessary space here to work on meeting that challenge.”

“A real therapy for the human heart cannot start with a directive for improvement but must thoroughly understand and transform the reasons why the default outcome of human interaction is usually a failure of joy and connection. This real therapy requires a breadth and depth of philosophical vision crystallized into a program of concrete action. Dialogue Therapy for Couples and Real Dialogue for Opposing Sides: Methods Based on Psychoanalysis and Mindfulness has just that magical formula. The authors of this book bring an incredible range of spiritual practice, depth psychology, and couples therapy knowledge to the ongoing, felt, and ailing interactions between people. In lucid description, this book outlines the primary mechanisms of relationship problems, as well as a stepwise and robust way out. Their unique incorporation of centuries of wisdom about the human condition with practical application can give practitioners and anyone in any relationship a distinct method for creating connections that are sustainable and vibrant.”

“In Dialogue Therapy for Couples and Real Dialogue for Opposing Sides: Methods Based on Psychoanalysis and Mindfulness, Polly Young-Eisendrath and Jean Pieniadz offer a powerful framework for working with and within couples and relationships as a whole. Building on the foundations of Dialogue Therapy, incorporating key new insights, such as those regarding “projective identification,” and amplifying the fruits of incorporating the clarity and present attention of Buddhist-based meditation, the authors show that therapeutic practices must evolve with the rapidly changing nature of relationships themselves, relationships that promise new possibilities but also bear greater responsibility for each person. A must-read for anyone engaged in clinical practice but also those generally seeking to deepen close relationships.”