Description:

The idea that partners in committed relationships elicit strong reactions in each other is self evident. That these passions are often overlooked in the therapy room is equally a reality. In this ground-breaking book, you will discover an innovative system for helping couples discover all of who they are. The Gleasons ask you to reconsider what it means to trust your intuition, make room for strong energies, work with the body, bring sexuality into the therapy room, and to elicit full emotional expression. Here you will learn to welcome the passionate, erotic, chaotic truths that are often kept under wraps in the therapy room.

Exceptional Couples: Transformation Through Embodied Couples Work synthesizes modern developmental theories with the wisdom of somatic psychotherapy and reveals how "embodying" is fundamental to helping couples break their patterns of vitality destroying habits of interacting. The Gleasons invite you on a journey of the highest magnitude where couples can come fully alive. They generously open the door to their practice room, sharing in-depth case examples and effective strategies they've developed over the course of their careers.

They ask you to come along with them and live in the mystery of yet-to-be discovered places in every relationship. The Gleasons met in in 1976 in clinical social work graduate school. They have devoted their lives to exploring how couples, including themselves, can have exceptional (beyond the ordinary) relationships.

Reviews

As an Exceptional Marriage Mentor working with my husband, (couples helping couples), we apply the EM approach with couples every day. I am thrilled with the content and the message of Brian and Marcia Gleason's book: Exceptional Relationships. Transformation Through Embodied Couples Work. This method really works. We have seen couples find their deeper truths with each other again and again as we use the EM methods. We have witnessed couples not only be relieved to understand what is really happening to them but we are regularly touched at how deeply couples can express what is underneath their strife when we guide them in embodying their interactions with each other. My husband Barry and I have practiced this method with couples for the past 7 years and it's great to have a published book that not only teaches the Exceptional Marriage approach, but also further inspires us with this soulful writing to carry on and bring couples to their underlying love for each other. Bravo Marcia and Brian.

~ Liz Carl, LCSW

Hallelujah! Thank you Marcia and Brian for a wonderfully written, well documented, well explained, much needed book on truly intergrating the work of body-mind-spirit for couples.

Couples and therapists will gain powerful insight on how to actually heal issues most have only had band aids for in the past. If you are working with couples and you value your soul as a therapist you will read this book today!

Pamela Chubbuck PhD, LCSW
Director, Core Energetics Institute South
Certified Bioenergetic Therapist

Excellent reading for therapists working with couples. Takes 'traditional talk therapy' to deep levels where emotions are embodied- a place where change can happen in ways beyond talking. It has been exciting to employ these methods and experience what is possible. Work draws on wide range of psychological literature and is masterfully summarized. I was also drawn to the female therapists poetry as yet another example of the power of embodying emotions and the power of what can emerge in a 'shared energy field'. Succinctly, concretely, expertly written. I highly recommend it.

Lisa Monagle, CCEP, CPRA
Core Energetics and Radical Aliveness Practitioner

About the Author

Marcia Gleason, LCSW is the Co-Director of the Institute for the Exceptional Marriage. She brings 30 years experience to her work as a couples therapist, body-oriented psychotherapist, trainer, and workshop facilitator. Marcia has in depth training in several modalities such as Core Energetics and Internal Family Systems which she integrates intuitively in her work with clients. She trains therapists in the Exceptional Marriage Approach both in the USA and internationally. She also teaches in the New York institute of Core Energetics. Marcia brings warmth, creativity and compassion to her work with couples.

Brian Gleason, LCSW, and is the co-founder, director, and trainer of Exceptional Marriage. Brian has over 30 years of experience in working with organizations, groups, couples, and individuals in a variety of mental health, corporate, wellness, and educational settings. Brian is a senior faculty member of the N.Y. Institute of Core Energetics. He teaches internationally and is author of a book on transpersonal psychology – Mortal Spirit. Brian also enjoys a thriving private practice in the New York area for individuals, groups and couples as well as providing supervision for therapists.

Together Marcia and Brian developed the Exceptional Marriage, an experience-based methodology for working with committed relationships which allows couples to honor each partner's capacity to discover his/her greatest gifts and deepest truths. This authentic, rich and powerful journey is explored in couples workshops, professional workshops, books and CDs, including the last book: Going All the Way, The Heart and Soul of the Exceptional Marriage.