Restore Marital Bliss with ‘It Takes One to Tango’ [REVIEW]

Sometimes the first steps you’ll take to improving your marriage are yours alone. (Photo by slgckgc, Flickr)

Marriage is hard. It takes lots of hard work to make it last. But sometimes, only one partner is interested in putting in the time and effort it takes to turn things around. Is it still possible to make a difference in your relationship if all the effort put in is one sided? Marriage and family therapist Winifred M. Reilly thinks no union is beyond redemption. Find out why in her new book, It Takes One to Tango: How I Rescued My Marriage with (Almost) No Help From My Spouse—and How You Can, Too. 

Touchstone

If you’re like me, you’ve probably always thought that both partners have to be willing to change in order to strengthen a marriage. But that isn’t necessarily the case. Reilly challenges this belief and encourages miserable mates by informing them that they can introduce positive changes on their own.

Using her own personal story as a point of reference, as well as countless reports from her clients (don’t worry, the names have been changed to protect their anonymity), she teaches readers that although it might be scary to take a leap of faith and question the status quo, sometimes it is a vital step to healing a fractured marriage.

Written in easy to understand language and a nurturing tone, Reilly reveals that because marriage is a choice, it is a deeply personal decision whether or not couples try to salvage a crumbling union from ruin. But she also helps us take a long hard look in the mirror and identify our own traits and flaws that could be contributing to the angst in our relationships. For example, why do we overreact? Have we handed over our emotional wellbeing to our partner, or do we find our own happiness? And when fights do break out between mates, what in the world are we really fighting for?

The questions are tough, and it is undoubtedly uncomfortable to look at oneself under such careful scrutiny. But when there’s trouble in paradise, nothing to lose and everything to gain, it is truly worthwhile to make the effort, even if we start out doing it on our own. The great thing is, however, that you don’t have to do it alone. Reilly has your back and is delighted to guide you through your evolution as a spouse and as a couple. Read It Takes One to Tango and discover how you can seize your joy again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Winifred M. Reilly, MA, MFT
(Photo by Trish Tunney)

Winifred M. Reilly, MA, MFT, is a psychotherapist specializing in marital therapy and relationship issues, with a private practice in Berkeley, California.

In her 35 years of clinical practice, she has treated hundreds of couples—many who are convinced they are headed for divorce.

Ms. Reilly has been a guest lecturer on marriage and sexuality, and her writing has appeared on Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, xoJane, and on her blog, Speaking of Marriage.

Visit her home on the Web at SpeakingOfMarriage.com, like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

IT TAKES ONE TO TANGO
By Winifred M. Reilly, MA, MFT
288 pgs. Touchstone. $24.99

You may purchase It Takes One to Tango at one of these fine online retailers: Amazon, Books-A-Million, and Barnes & Noble.

It Takes One to Tango is brought to you in association with TLC Book Tours.

Below, watch Winifred M. Reilly discuss how one determined partner—acting alone—can spark lasting, significant change in a marriage, often accomplishing change that cannot be made any other way. It doesn’t matter how short-fused, argumentative, or seemingly impossible your partner can be—or how long you’ve been stuck.

It Takes One to Tango Giveaway

Congratulations to Courtney Whisenant who just won a copy of It Takes One to Tango. Although this giveaway has come to an end, look for more opportunities to win more great reads.