Planning weddings is a growing business area. The author is one of our top-selling home-based business authors and is herself a successful event and wedding planner.

'Our childhood came to an end when our parents parted and from then on Jennifer was placed in the impossible position of having to be a parent to me, her sister. I shall always be grateful for her protection . . .' Millions have fallen in love with Jennifer Worth and her experiences in the East End as chronicled in Call the Midwife, but little is known about her life outside this period. Now, in this moving and evocative memoir, Jennifer's sister Christine takes us from their early idyllic years to the cruelty and neglect they suffered after their parents divorced, from Jennifer being forced to leave home at fourteen to their training as nurses. After leaving nursing Jennifer took up a career in music, her first love, and Christine became a sculptor, but through marriages and children, joy and heartbreak, their lives remained intertwined. Absorbing and emotional, The Midwife's Sister by Christine Lee is testimony to an enduring bond between two extraordinary women.

Loss of love is a universal theme. Abandonment is a primal fear. Divorce severs not only connection to others but often to ourselves, becoming a breeding ground for separation anxiety and intense feelings of low self-worth. This title is a personal story of one woman's journey through abandonment and divorce. It is a naked inquiry into the anguish of her loss, not only physical loss but also the loss of a sense of self. Based on journals kept over three years, the story is intimately written. Woven through this nakedly honest record of divorce, is a second voice - the voice of a wise woman. She offers an inspired alternative, and explains how traumatic life experiences can be approached as an opportunity for new growth, greater fulfilment, true intimacy and creativity.

Help your marital therapy clients become more supportive of their partners!
As a therapist, you see many unhappy couples who long for the loving support that used to be the touchstone of their relationship. Treating Marital Stress: Support-Based Approaches helps you restore that support, beginning with detailed descriptions of the five major patterns of marital distress and continuing with a comprehensive training manual that includes figures, case studies, and samples of possible dialogues between clients and therapists. Step-by-step discussion of the first five sessions with a hypothetical couple provide you with the tools you'll need to help your clients learn to work together as a team, manage their anger, and communicate effectively with each other.
Treating Marital Stress shows you the best ways to: work with a reluctant spouse use empathic probing to make a connection with each client design homework assignments so spouses can work on individual improvements point out problematic behaviors within sessions through 'here and now' interventions reframe conflicts to reduce defensiveness help clients accept responsibility for themselves and avoid placing blame Other chapters discuss how you can assign behavioral tasks, get the couple to focus on their objectives, and predict and move beyond emotional obstacles to healing. This helpful volume also explores the outcome data from a study on support-focused marital theory conducted in a university setting.
Author Robert Rugel, PhD writes: "A spouse who is on the receiving end of support will feel loved and valued by the partner. That spouse will also know that the partner can be counted on to be there when help is needed.As a result, security and trust develop in the relationship." You can be there to help spouses look at each other differently and learn to trust and support each other once more.

'Carol Ann Duffy is the most humane and accessible poet of our time' - Guardian In this stunning anthology of ninety nine modern and classic poems, Carol Ann Duffy delves into the powerful and unique bond between parent and child. Empty Nest contemplates growing old, the love of a parent, the everyday of family life, as well as poems that explore darker terrains - grief, loss and estrangement. Some of our favourite poets are collected here, such as Elizabeth Bishop, Jackie Kay, Simon Armitage, Shakespeare, Imtiaz Dharker, Seamus Heaney and Don Paterson. These poems are by turns wry, moving, profound, funny, melancholic and wise; they will console and comfort those suddenly facing a house that may be much cleaner, but is also much quieter, than it once was. There is something here for every reader to treasure. 'Wonderful . . . a poet alert to every sound and shape of language' - Telegraph

A family with a dark secret. A child who refuses to speak. Rosie must help her before it's too late. Nine-year-old Caitlin has a secret, but she cannot tell anyone about it. When her mother is sectioned under the Mental Health Act she and her three siblings have to go and live with her grandmother Julie and grandad Ryan. Caitlin finds her new living conditions challenging: cat poo on the carpet, rubbish everywhere and the constant stare of her grandad - she retreats more and more into herself. When foster carer Rosie Lewis meets Caitlin she knows something is deeply wrong with this little girl, who is withdrawn, afraid and refuses to speak. Rosie decides to take her in, but Caitlin's silence continues, and Rosie knows she must act. Why is Caitlin so afraid to speak? Could it be that the family has a dark secret? One that is so shocking it can no longer be hidden?

Sophie had always been cynical about love-until she meets Marcus. His affection and doting praise melt away her defenses. The beginning of their relationship was a whirlwind romance, but over time she finds herself on uneven footing. Marcus lies. He's violently angry and bewilderingly inconsistent. Yet somehow he always manages to explain away his behavior and to convince Sophie that it's all in her head. Sophie comes to realize that she's become trapped in a cycle of abuse with someone with narcissistic personality disorder. Once she gets out of the relationship, Sophie turns her pen to documenting the experience and offers bracing, hilarious, and empathetic advice to any readers who may be in similar straits.

This highly anticipated second edition of Splitting is fully revised and updated, and includes new chapters on abuse, alienation, and false allegations; as well as information about the four types of domestic violence, protective orders, and child custody disputes. Are you divorcing someone who's making the process as difficult as possible? Are they sending you nasty emails, falsifying the truth, putting your children in the middle, abusing you, or abusing the system? Are they "persuasive blamers," manipulating and fooling court personnel to get them on their side? If so, you need this book. For more than ten years, Splitting has served as the ultimate guide for people divorcing a high conflict person, one who often has borderline or narcissistic (or even antisocial) personality disorder. Among other things, it has saved readers thousands of dollars, helped them keep custody of their children, and effectively guided them through a difficult legal and emotional process. Written by a family law attorney and therapist, and the author of Stop Walking on Eggshells, Splitting is an essential legal and psychological guide for anyone divorcing a persuasive blamer: someone who suffers from borderline personality disorder (BPD), narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), and/or antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). This second edition includes new information about antisocial personalities; expanded information about domestic violence, child abuse, alienation, and false allegations; how to approach protective orders and deal with child custody disputes; and a new chapter on how to successfully present your case to decision makers. Turn to this guide to help you: *Predict what your spouse may do or say in court *Take control of your case with assertiveness and strategic thinking *Choose a lawyer who understands your case *Learn how e-mails and social networking can be used against you If you need help navigating a high-conflict divorce from a manipulative spouse, this book includes all of the critical information you need to work through the process of divorce in an emotionally balanced, productive way.

From Lane Moore, the critically acclaimed author of How to Be Alone, comes a searingly intimate, funny guidebook about the awkward, painful, and, at times, exhilarating journey of learning to find, build, and keep best friendships in adulthoodYou Will Find Your People is a narrative work of self-development that uncovers the complex, frightening, and mystical world of friendship. Author Lane Moore takes readers on a journey that challenges heteronormative Western ideas of friendship, navigates the tricky world of being friends with your ex, and teaches us how to finally-and fearlessly-accept the friendships we know we deserve. Part memoir, part self-help book, and with Moore's signature self-deprecating humor, You Will Find Your People has wide commercial appeal for readers of all ages who want to challenge and better understand their sense of community.

After moving to a humble cottage outside of a tiny Texas town, Debra Monroe rids herself of an abusive husband, battles sexist contractors and workers as she renovates her home, and finally, after several disheartening letdowns, is able to adopt her beautiful baby daughter, Marie. Though elated that her dream is coming true, Monroe faces trials that befall her not just as a single mother but as a white mother of a black child. In On the Outskirts of Normal, two-time National Book Award nominee Monroe's heart creaks "like china with hairline cracks" each time a racist comment rolls their way or stares linger a little too long in their direction. Though she and her daughter face serious undiagnosed illnesses leading to innumerable, painful doctor visits, Monroe remains steadfast in her dedication toMarie and their small but tight family. Reading On the Outskirts of Normal at times feels like driving through an unwieldy thunderstorm at night on the unlit country roads that snake their way to Monroe's house in the woods; readers will feel her exhaustion but will be buoyed by her ever-present faith and fiery love. Pulitzer Prize winner Madeleine Blais writes that On the Outskirts of Normal is the "real deal: both a literary triumph and a triumph of the heart.

'Bitingly funny, infectiously inquisitive and ferociously sharp. Adored!' ATTITUDE 'A fascinating interrogation' GRAZIA 'An incisive, witty and moving look at marriage - as an achievement, a compromise, a selling-out, a practical solution' REFINERY29 It was one thing to get married when your parents, your neighbours, your community insisted on it, when a sacred union for heterosexuals was not just one option but the only option. It's quite another to keep doing it in when free of that societal and religious pressure. What is the allure of an institution grounded in patriarchy, in elitism, in white supremacy in the West, an institution that invalidated all but one kind of love till quite recently? Why do so many of us fight against these social ills while also posting pictures of proposals on Instagram? Is it possible to be married while subverting the institution by doing it one's own way, or is marriage having the last laugh after all? Tom Rasmussen comes from a Northern, working class family, for whom marriage in the centrepiece of life. They are also a male-bodied, non-binary queer person in a relationship with a man. Journeying through wildly different weddings, visits to wedding planners, interviews with the much-married, those who have questioned their decision to marry, and those who would never consider matrimony, this is an incisive, witty and moving look at marriage - as an achievement, a compromise, a selling-out, a practical solution. Tom Rasmussen examines what marriage means across the spectrum of sexuality and class, and what the future looks like for this most historic and universal of institutions. 'An incisive, compassionate probing of the pleasures and pitfalls of marriage ... A deft deconstruction of normativity today' DAZED 'Tom Rasmussen is a smart and accomplished storyteller ... Anyone - queer or straight - who's considering marriage, or for that matter anyone who's deeply in love should read this unputdownable book' KATE BORNSTEIN 'I love Tom Rasmussen and adore their writing' TRAVIS ALABANZA 'An interrogation and an investigation ... A deeply funny and optimistic read' JUNO ROCHE

In Suid-Afrika ken meer as 60% van kinders nie ’n pa nie. Hierdie gebrek aan ’n pa lei dikwels tot ’n gemis aan ’n gevoel van behoort.

Julian Jansen, joernalis van Rapport en oud-onderwyser, ondersoek hierdie fenomeen en hoe die probleem aangespreek kan word. Hy bespreek dit vanuit ’n praktiese én geestelike perspektief en betrek onlangse navorsing en geestelike en ander gemeenskapslede.

Julian verweef ook sy eie storie tussenin, en vra dan: hoekom het hy en sy broers nie skollies geword nie?

Today's average wedding costs $20,000, so the appeal of doing it yourself has never been greater. And crafty and creative brides-to-be need look no farther than this hip, budget-friendly wedding planner. Khris Cochran, author of The "DIY Bride" and creator of DIYBride.com presents 40 original, affordable, and time-saving projects in the popular countdown format that brides on a deadline just can't live without. You'll find everything from edible, save-the-date cards and hand-stamped cocktail napkins to bead-and-lace bridal slippers, a feather boutonniere for the groom, and a super-cool "Just Married" sign. In her trademark straightforward style, Cochran carefully leads readers through each project and supplies spot-on tips and shortcuts. Four-color, step-by-step illustrations, easy-to-read templates, and pattern guides take the mystery out of creating these wedding keepsakes. Helpful sidebars provide time estimates, so savvy brides-to-be can plan out their projects and count down confidently to their special day.

All the things you need to know when you're putting the military in your rear view In Military Transition For Dummies, you'll talk a walk through how to transition from active military service to civilian life as smoothly and easily as possible. You'll discover how to make the nuts-and-bolts changes to reach your potential in your new lifestyle. From finding a job you love to navigating educational opportunities and keeping yourself mentally strong, this vital book shows you how to: Find your next career, including how to write an effective resume and conduct a thorough job search Protect your mental and physical well-being by seeking out and accessing the supports you want and need Manage your money and make the financial adjustments that are necessary for succeeding in the civilian world Perfect for active service members who are expecting to transition out of the military in the near future, Military Transition For Dummies is also ideal for anyone who's recently left the service and hopes to make the most of their new life.

An outline for a new kind of wedding ceremony free from theology, with new rituals designed to prepare us for modern marriage. Many of us are attracted to the idea of marriage and yet feel a bit uncomfortable with some of the rituals that are traditionally associated with the big day. Perhaps the old ceremonies place too much emphasis on religion or else seem out of step with some of the complex realities of contemporary relationships. In response to this dilemma, The School of Life has rethought what the ideal wedding day would consist of and redesigned the process for modern couples. The book proposes new ways of getting prepared for a wedding at a psychological level, suggesting how couples should ready themselves for the often tricky journey ahead. It presents an entirely practical and thoughtfully redesigned wedding ceremony, from picking out a suitable venue to suggested vows and readings. Finally, it offers some ideas for how to approach the start of married life.

Kathleen Horan, a reporter at WNYC, founded relationshipobit.com when after a difficult breakup with her boyfriend, her father passed away two weeks later. As she was writing her father's obituary, Kathleen recognized how helpful it was to have a place to celebrate that life, recognise the survivors, and put things to rest. She began to wonder what it would be like to write another obituary - this time for the death of her relationship. How it would be remembered. Cause of death. Surivors (if any). Date of birth and the date it breathed it's last. Thus "Relationship Obits" was born. "Relationship Obits" is more than just a book for people who've been burned by love (although who hasn't). It's a celebration of love, a recognition that we all go through the end of relationships and just as much as love is a huge part of life, so is loss of that love.

Decades of research show that the critical key to our success and happiness is the strength of our relationships. Winning at life depends on knowing how to win with people.

In this book Justin Cohen, one of the world’s leading experts on human potential, will show you how. With a combination of cutting-edge research, humour, entertaining examples and practical take-home tools, you will discover the 21 laws of influence to help you:

• Attract high-value people into your life.
• Motivate people to do what you want done.
• Prevent and resolve conflict.
• Inspire people to realise their full potential.
• Do the one thing that creates almost instant liking and rapport.

Ten years after Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's death, a commemorative edition with a new introduction and updated resources section of her beloved groundbreaking classic on the five stages of grief.
One of the most important psychological studies of the late twentieth century, "On Death and Dying" grew out of Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's famous interdisciplinary seminar on death, life, and transition. In this remarkable book, Dr. Kubler-Ross first explored the now-famous five stages of death: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Through sample interviews and conversations, she gives readers a better understanding of how imminent death affects the patient, the professionals who serve that patient, and the patient's family, bringing hope to all who are involved.
This edition includes an elegant, enlightening introduction by Dr. Ira Byock, a prominent palliative care physican and the author of "Dying Well."

Where's My Happy Ending? asks the questions you've always wondered: What is ‘happily ever after’? How do you make love last? Is there such a thing as ‘the one’?

Maybe you’ve just had a first date with ‘the one’, maybe you’ve been married for ten years. Either way, it’s hard to know if they’re really meant to be by your side until you both wear dentures. In this book Anna Whitehouse and Matt Farquharson, authors of Parenting the Sh*t Out of Life, set out to discover what it takes to make it to forever, by asking our greatest questions about love.

They ask a former sex-worker and her ex-gigolo husband, celibate monks and free-loving hippies. They ask people who never wanted kids and people who have loads of them. They speak to couples, throuples and singles; gay, straight and anywhere in-between.

And in asking these questions, they are forced to confront their own relationship after a decade of marriage. Join Anna and Matt on a searingly honest, belly-laugh inducing journey through love and relationships, social media and small children, expert advice and everyday exasperation, as they navigate the muddy waters of modern romance.