Relationship Stress Management is the application of stress
assessment and management techniques to problems of human relationships.
Until now, stress has been viewed as a personal problem stemming from
the buildup of tension in the mind and body. People who are stressed-out
are said to be working too hard, taking things too seriously, or burning
the candle at both ends. Scientists have found in their studies with
couples, families, managers and employees that the buildup of tension in
relationships is the most destructive stress that humans experience.
If you think about your life for a moment-- your marriage,
children, and the people
you relate to at work-- you automatically focus on how important these
relationships are to you, how high the stakes are in your
love, family and work lives. A rift or conflict with these people
can stay with you for days, even weeks, depending on how you resolve
conflicts. Precious time is wasted with negative thoughts and feelings,
and your body is inundated with a host of powerful chemicals and
hormones. Furthermore, the way you think about your “self”, your
self-image, is intimately connected with the successes and failures of
your relationships. It is difficult to feel good about your “self”
when the people you love and work with are emotionally distant from you.
Recent scientific studies with thousands of couples have
shown that negative reactions like criticism and defensiveness occur at
high rates in partners who are dissatisfied with their marriages.
These studies indicate further that these negative reactions, if
left unchanged, can lead to
divorce. The encouraging news from these studies is that couples who
learn to manage
relationship stress tend to stay married and report a high level of
marital satisfaction. This metamorphosis is dependent on the mastery of
an important skill: the ability
to change the automatic tendency
to be defensive and/or withdraw under the stress of conflict. Our staff
at the CENTER are committed to teaching you this skill.
Our studies at the RELATIONSHIP STRESS CENTER indicate that
stress is an important factor that distinguishes between healthy and
unhealthy families. Children within unhealthy families cope less
effectively with stress and are prone to academic and behavior problems.
Relationship Stress Management, particularly
relaxation and anxiety management techniques for children, should be
incorporated as early as possible in the lifespan of our kids to help
them deal with the difficult job
of growing up.
In
summary, the concept of Relationship
Stress allows us at the center to offer you the state-of-the art
technology of stress management: relaxation techniques, imagery
training, biofeedback, assertiveness and anxiety management training, as
well as the strategies of cognitive behavior therapy.
Scientifically tested strategies that have proven so effective
for the management of personal stress are now available for the positive
management of your relationships.