Relationships are potentially very satisfying; they protect us from loneliness and improve our physical and mental health. A two-parent family is also the most successful setting for the care and upbringing of children. But it is not all plain sailing, and there are an enormous number of problems that can cause disturbances in these relationships – which is ultimately why many couples are seeking some effective relationship advice.Most people enter into marriage with the best of intentions, assuming that they will remain in a permanent and happy union. Unfortunately, it is not always the case that relationships work out as planned. Many marriages degrade in quality over time and end up in a conflicted state. In recent years, something like 50% of formal marriages made in the United States have ended in divorce. This figure does not include the breakdown of other non-married but otherwise committed unions. Many people discover that it is, in fact, difficult to keep a marriage relationship alive and well. It takes work and mental flexibility that not everyone is willing or able to offer. The couples themselves were responsible for quite a lot of their own successes in therapy, after being given the relevant relationship advice for their specific issues. I think it is very likely that the do-it-yourself approach will be helpful, at least for those couples who are prepared to work together on their relationship problems and are not inexorably set on the road to divorce.