True Companions (eBook)

When we quit sabotaging intimacy in our relationships by demanding unconditional love, we discover something much greater-the deeply satisfying, transformational love that is companionship. In these pages psychologist Kelly Flanagan shows how each of us has within ourselves, exactly the way we are, the gifts that are needed to cultivate the life-long relationships we are longing for, whether it is within marriage or friendship. He shows us how self-knowledge leads the way to growing in love for both God and others. He shows us how understanding our own loneliness can help us relieve the pressure on our companions. And he shows us how understanding our own psychological and emotional defenses can help us to make the choice to love more vulnerably. More than a marriage book, this is a companionship book. Anyone-from single young adults to elderly married couples, from the divorced to the widowed, from siblings to friends-can benefit from the wisdom it uncovers about what it means to be human and to be true companions. Groups, couples, and individuals can use the companion study guide for five sessions on how to show up in your most important relationships.

Kelly Flanagan (PhD, Pennsylvania State University) is a clinical psychologist, popular speaker, and the author of The Marriage Manifesto, Loveable, and True Companions. He has also written for publications such as Christianity Today, Reader's Digest, and Huffington Post, and he has appeared on the TODAY Show with his daughter. He lives in Dixon, Illinois, with his wife who is also named Kelly, and their three children.