Includes index.

"Relationships are usually the most important part of a person's life. But they're often stressful and frustrating, or simply awkward, distant, and lonely. We feel the weight of things unsaid, needs unmet, conflicts unresolved. It's easy to feel stuck. But actually, new research shows that we create our relationships with our thoughts and words, giving us the ability to improve them-as long as we know how. In Making Great Relationships, Rick Hanson brings his trademark warmth and clarity to offer the fundamental tools and skills that foster happy, lasting, and fulfilling relationships of all kinds: at home and at work, with family and friends, and with people who are challenging. Grounded in brain science and clinical psychology, and informed by contemplative wisdom, this book offers fifty-two effective practices for building healthy relationships, including: How to convince yourself that you truly deserve to be treated well How to stay centered so that conflict doesn't rattle you so deeply How to see the good in others (even when they make it difficult) How to set and maintain healthy boundaries How to express your needs so that they are more likely to be fulfilled Dr. Hanson's message is based on his decades of work as a clinical psychologist, his deep knowledge of mindfulness, and his own lessons from forty years of marriage while raising two children. In bite-sized chapters, this comprehensive guide will teach you how to relate better than ever with all the people in your life"--,Provided by publisher.