March 23, 2017 Book: Sacred Stress: A radically different approach to using life's challenges for positive change Authors: George R. Faller, MS, LMFT and Rev. Dr. Heather Wright Skylight Paths. Woodstock, Vermont. 2017. Pp. 136 An Excerpt from the Jacket: Stress can limit our perspective, leaving us feeling trapped and out of control. But stress can also be a force for good. It is our challenges that most compel us to reach out for relationship. And our proudest moments come after overcoming obstacles we thought were insurmountable. Based on personal experience and their work as therapists, and drawing on decades of psychological research, George Faller and Rev. Dr. Heather Wright have come to see that stress can be healthy and positive. They equip us with the skills and the knowledge we need to reframe our thinking about stress, understand and embrace our darker emotions, and become stronger through difficulty. An Excerpt from the book: Trying It Together Long-term relationships are difficult and stress certainly exacerbates negative cycles. If distress takes over relationships, the prognosis is grim. The great news is there is a clear way out of the gloom and away from the scary statistics. Understanding the predictable ways stress triggers our self-protection empowers us to take charge of our actions. Stress provides the raw materials for change. How we use these materials determines the quality of the product. If we develop a positive attitude about stress in our relationships, it can move us toward a life-giving connection, full of authenticity, openness, and transparency. The mythical problem-free relationship is missing something indispensable. Often it is through the pain, doubt, mistrust, and darkness that we receive healing. Stress opens the doorway into deeper intimacy if we are courageous enough to walk through. Stress shared your partner invites vulnerability, which is the language of strong connections. We need the messiness of distress to keep fine-tuning the emotional bond. The actual behaviors and dysfunctions are far less important than the intent of the couple to turn toward each other. Lack of connections is a signal to repair our bond. Allowing stress to move us toward our partner and connection transforms the problems into intimacy. In the arms of our secure lover, compassion wins over fear. Table of Contents: Part 1: How stress affects our interior world 1. Reframing thinking Expanding our perspective 2. Creating connections Learning to embrace our emotions 3. Opening the door to transformation Knowing and naming our emotions Part 2: How stress breaks and makes relationships 4. Nurturing the ultimate connection Romantic relationships, sex and stress 5. Enjoying the wild ride Parenting and stress Part 3: How external realities shape our stress 6. Breaking a dependency Handling money with integrity 7. Claiming strength and resiliency Overcoming the wounds of trauma Epilogue: Befriending stress