How to Be an Adult in Relationships

Outline

How to Be an Adult in Relationships (2002) explains how emotional maturity makes close relationships healthier and more fulfilling. Drawing on psychology and mindfulness, David Richo describes five key needs he calls the five A’s: attention, acceptance, appreciation, affection, and allowing. The book shows how learning to give and receive these can replace fear and control with trust and genuine connection.

• Emotional maturity is what makes close relationships healthier and more fulfilling.
• David Richo names five key needs, the five A's: attention, acceptance, appreciation, affection, and allowing.
• Relationships grow stronger when you learn both to give and to receive these five things.
• Practising the five A's can replace fear and control with trust and genuine connection.
• Richo draws on psychology and mindfulness to show how these practices work in daily relationships.

David Richo is an American psychotherapist, teacher, and author who combines psychology with insights from contemplative traditions. He leads workshops on relationships and personal growth. His other books include The Five Things We Cannot Change.