Power of Friendship
The Power of Friendship is a practical and accessible handbook that draws on more than thirty years of social science research and insights from modern psychology on how to create, maintain and deepen relationships.
Decades of research show that strong relationships are at the very top of the list of what makes us happy and what helps us live long and healthy lives. Yet, we receive relatively little guidance when it comes to developing and nurturing our friendships as adults.
This book unlocks the secrets to thriving social relationships and reveals the formula to create deep bonds and extraordinary connections. It contains more than forty exercises and techniques originating from authentic relating, non-violent communication, functional analytic psychotherapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and much more.
What makes some friendships last while others fade away? How can we deepen our connection with an acquaintance or someone we have known for years? How can we manage conflicts so that our friendships are not weakened but rather strengthened by them? When can and should we break up with a friend? All of these and more questions are answered and illuminated.
Learn how to:
- Make new friends
- Move from mutual acquaintance to real friendship
- Connect even deeper with the friends you have
- Turn your vulnerability into an advantage
- Break free from old habitual patterns
- Skillfully manage and prevent conflict
The Power of Friendship is written by three friends with a burning passion for relationships: two clinical psychologists and one researcher with a PhD in neuroscience.
Daniel Ek, MSc, is a registered psychologist with an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) focus and works as a lecturer and mindfulness teacher. He is also the co-founder of Friendship Lab, which provides skills training in the art of strengthening relationships.
Pär Flodin (Author)
Pär Flodin, PhD, has a doctorate in cognitive neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet. There he is now an active researcher in psychiatric epidemiology and maps the prevalence and causes of mental illness.
Frida Bern Andersson (Author)
Frida Bern, MSc, is a certified psychologist with a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) focus. In her work, she meets many who struggle with loneliness and relationship problems of various kinds, and she finds great meaning in helping people make changes they might not have thought possible.