A breakthrough guide to healing troubled relationships Why do couples break up? In The Commitment Dialogues, bestselling author Matthew McKay dissects a range of typical dialogues gone wrong in order to illustrate how fear sabotages relationships. He introduces readers to 10 couples struggling with specific issues. As their dialogues unfold, each couple's core problems are revealed. Dr. McKay then shows how his techniques can help heal fractured relationships and get couples working as a team to resolve conflicts over money, children, monogamy, commitment, and more. Readers also learn: The four big relationship-damaging fears: Fear of Engulfment, Fear of Abandonment, Fear of Shame, and Fear of Emptiness How these fears underlie virtually every relationship issue and how to work through conflicts How conversations turn sour when people project their fears onto their mates Techniques for turning fears around for more productive, effective communication