DVD Review: Back from the Edge: Creating Everlasting Love (Inner Strength Films)

Posted by Harmony Rousseau on Feb 21, 2008 in Book and Product Reviews, Relationships | 0 comments

Back from the Edge: Creating Everlasting Love by Anthony Robbins and Cloe Madanes
Rating: Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Buy Through Anthony Robbins Website

Back from the Edge is part of the Tony Robbins Inner Strength Films with psychotherapist Cloe Madanes in which Tony coaches members of the audience to break free of their fears and take control of their lives. This particular film is also included in Tony Robbins’ Ultimate Relationship Program (which I have not seen).

During a conference of about 4000 participants, Paul stands up and reveals he’s thinking of leaving his wife, Jennifer, who is also an audience member. For the last two years, Paul has been threatening to leave Jennifer, a stay-at-home mom with a biting sense of humor and strong extended family support. Tony learns that Jen’s sister and brother-in-law, Janet and Brian, are also in the audience and asks them for insight into the couple’s problems.

From them, Tony learns that Paul and Jen often fight over finances. Paul feels insignificant because Jen often receives financial help from her family. Also, because Jen has such intense love for her kids and family, Paul feels he’s not her #1 priority to receive her love. To regain power in the relationship, Paul threatens to leave. Jen comforts herself by seeking support, love, and stability from her family, kids and food.

Tony works with Paul and Jennifer to uncover which of their 6 basic needs (certainty, variety, significance, connection/love, growth, and contribution) are not being met in their relationship, and specifically how the couple is meeting their top two needs outside of their relationship. Initially, Paul’s #1 need is significance while Jen’s is certainty. As Tony coaches the couple, he gives them new tools and strategies for laying down their weapons, reconnecting with one another, and allowing themselves to love one another again.

As Tony talks with the couple, Cloe summarizes the couple’s problems and communication patterns while offering questions and exercises for viewers to ask themselves about their own relationships. She focuses on how couples can better satisfy one another’s top human needs.

This video is a fantastic overview of how to create a loving, committed, sustainable relationship. Couples in any stage of their relationship can pick up strategies for deeper connection. The video will also help couples who are struggling to communicate with one another and wonder if they can ever reconnect again. When Paul first stood up, he seemed to be making one last ditch effort to save his doomed relationship. By realizing one another’s needs and learning new ways to communicate with one another, Paul and Jen were able work out their differences and make a renewed commitment to one another. In their 6 month follow up, Paul and Jen are incredibly happy together.

The 33 page downloadable workbook that accompanies the video offers a 3 step process for couples to meet one another’s needs. Specifically, they must:

Discover their partner’s top 3 needs in order of priority
Discover their partner’s rules for what has to happen in order for those needs to be met. In other words, how will they know if their needs are being met?
Give and evaluate. What does their partner look like when his or her needs are being met?

The workbook also offers exercises so couples can evaluate how their needs are being met when they are upset or angry with their partners and walks couples through conflict resolution strategies so they can commit more fully to one another.

Check out Anthony Robbins’ Inner Strength Films!