The average length of first marriages in this country is eight years. Scarcely one half of all marriages survive to 15 years. The single parent has become our social norm. The hidden epidemic in our country is the loss of our capacity for intimacy needed to sustain marriage. How do couples who maintain a happy marriage make it work? This book unpacks and explores those desperately needed "secrets." It also offers a step by step guide for couples seeking to both understand and renew their relationship. Based on research with happily married couples, four decades of listening to couples in conflict and the author's own marriage of 46 years, Dr. Baute guides the reader through a progressive understanding of the skills needed to sustain intimacy "for better or for worse." The Author Dr. Paschal Baute has been a certified AAMMFt Marital Therapist and Psychologist working with couples for 40 years. His doctoral research explored intimacy among happily married couples. Retired in Lexington, Kentucky, he is a disabled Veteran who writes on total wellness and Celtic spirituality. THE PERFECT GIFT for couples beginning or married 40 years, this is a treasury of experience both in listening, typical examples, tips, research, and living with resilience in loving. Useful also for the single person yearning for a more stable love relationship. Early reviewers give this book high praise. Peek inside the cover for a sneak preview. Dr. Paschal Baute speaks to the hidden epidemic in our society which is undermining all our relationships. He offers an engaging, measured, sure-fire, yet joyful remedy. Twelve clear and necessary skills are explained.