Achieving Loving Families

Dr. Simmons and Dr. Oliver are co-authoring a book focusing on the emotional health and well being of families. This unique volume demonstrates how to develop cooperative family skills. The toolkit includes effective communication skill–building, no–fault family conflict management and guiding intentional family development. This book looks at the transactions among family members, each at a different individual developmental stage, bringing different needs into the mix. In these patterns of transactions, we see how family members occupy covert roles based on unmet needs and the projection of negative feelings or intentions onto other members. The family unconsciously creates a family melodrama that locks members into ongoing behavior patterns that defeat the work for positive well–being. Managing chores, family activities and recreation, obtaining cooperative behavior and making effective family decisions are included in the skill–building developed in this book. The goal is to provide emotionally safe skills to develop loving, caring and cooperative families, with freedom for each member to become one's best self.

© 2005, Robert H. Simmons and Lauren J. Oliver