This book offers 39 interactive activities to assist individuals in developing meaningful relationships. Each activity offers a safe environment for individuals to build communication skills, encourage cooperation, and rekindle companionship in the committed relationships. The fresh and creative ideas help individuals: Build lasting relationships Notice styles of communication and reframe criticism Practice sharing and responding Develop respectful curiosity Understand differences About the authors: Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin, a clinical psychologist, specialized in child and family therapy. Sue Walden has over 25 years experience teaching improvisation and creativity classes to adults, couples, and families. Her clients include IBM, MCI, Apple, and DuPont.

From the Author

Why and how this book came to be
Being in supportive, caring and satisfying relationships is a goal that most individuals hold. Yet for many, willingness, hopes and dreams, desires and attempts yield more sorrow and loneliness than joy. Conflicts emerge from misunderstandings, incompatible gender socializations, fears, different socio-cultural experiences and assumptions. Understanding these differences and discovering the ingredients of moments of happy companionship is key to bringing forth more connectedness & appreciation.

The exercises in this book invite participants to focus on what works in relationships, to become aware of how they were socialized to act with others, and to notice ways of communicating or interacting that brings out the best in themselves and their partner/friend. These exercises have allowed many women, men, and youths to make significant changes in their lives within a short time because they build on people's own life experiences in a playful and empowering atmosphere inspired by narrative ideas. The goals of these exercises are not to instruct people on "how to" live their lives. We believe that each person is the expert in their own life and that they are the best judges of what is best for them. For that reason, these exercises are designed to invite people to explore possibilities, to become aware of different ways of being and their effects, and to choose the attitude that best fits their intentions.

This book emerged from the fortuitous meeting of Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin and Sue Walden in 1993, when Marie-Nathalie attended a team building retreat facilitated by Sue. This powerful retreat was based solely on experiential exercises derived from improvisational programs. Curious to explore this avenue, Marie-Nathalie thereafter accepted Sue's invitation to try out her improvisation program in San Francisco and became increasingly impressed with the impact of this process on her own, her husband's, and her classmates' lives. It became very clear that improvisation exercises triggered much more than enhanced creativity and spontaneity. Most of the participants in the classes were there not to train as professional actors or improvisers, but to develop different and preferred aspects of themselves. Since the program was completely experiential, it brought forth different stories and aspects of participants' lives, created a space to try out new ways of being, and opportunities to challenge inner critical voices (see www.voices.com for more information). The process in some ways resembled narrative therapy, a very empowering and respectful therapeutic approach, in which Marie-Nathalie was specializing. Excited by the overlap of these powerful ideas, Marie-Nathalie and Sue decided to collaborate on the development of a successful workshop series and thereafter this innovative and creative book. We hope that you will enjoy using this book as much as we enjoyed writing it! Most of the activities can be used in multiple settings, from professional conferences, to therapeutic groups, to classroom of students.

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