We Need to Talk: How to Successfully Navigate Conflict

How we deal with conflict will either grow a relationship or destroy it. Experienced therapist Dr. Linda Mintle expertly leads readers through successful conflict management, resulting in more secure and peaceful relationships. Practical and approachable, We Need to Talk offers real-world advice based on solid research for marriages, parenting, extended family, ex-spouses, blended families, and friendships. Readers will learn to reverse negative relationship patterns, let go of unresolved anger, negotiate expectations, set boundaries, and even stay in relationships with unsolvable conflicts. Self-inventories, questions, and descriptions of personality styles provide hands-on tools for self-recognition and better understanding. Throughout, Dr. Mintle directs readers to their ultimate source of relational transformation: a loving God.

From the Back Cover

Grow through conflict into a healthier you

Conflict is a normal part of our lives and relationships. But the desire to avoid it and the tendency to handle it poorly can get us stuck--or even in trouble. In this practical and approachable book, therapist Dr. Linda Mintle expertly leads you through successful conflict management so that you can enjoy more secure and peaceful relationships. She offers real-world advice based on solid research for marriages, parenting, extended family, ex-spouses, blended families, and friendships. You will learn to

· approach conflict in ways that work
· problem solve and be more confident
· negotiate differences
· forgive and move on
· strengthen relationships even when conflict seems unsolvable

Dr. Mintle helps you understand your personal approach to conflict, how it developed, and what you can do to effectively engage with others. Throughout, she directs you to your ultimate source of relational transformation: a loving God.

If you want to build and maintain stronger relationships despite conflict, We Need to Talk is the place to start.


"I cannot urge you enough to go into that talk you need to have, having read this book first. It will give you hope, skills, insight, wisdom, and biblical truth." --John Trent, PhD, Gary D. Chapman Chair of Marriage and Family Ministry and Therapy, Moody Theological Seminary, Chicago; author of The Blessing, Life Mapping, and The Language of Love

"Never have I read a book that so thoughtfully and clearly offers solutions for one of life's most troubling issues. Everyone who is married, an in-law, a parent, or simply one who loves another person must read this book."--Meg Meeker, MD, bestselling author, Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters; cohost, Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson


Dr. Linda Mintle is a national speaker and bestselling author. She is the Chair of the Division of Behavioral Health at the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Liberty University. Dr. Mintle appears regularly on national broadcasts and is a national news contributor in mental health. In addition, she hosts her own BeliefNet blog, Doing Life Together. She lives in Virginia.