The Power of Discord

This original look at how to foster connections, attachment, and resiliency explains why working through discord is the key to better relationships.

You might think that perfect harmony is the defining characteristic of healthy relationships, but the truth is that human interactions are messy, complicated, and confusing. And according to renowned psychologist Ed Tronick and paediatrician Claudia Gold, that is not only okay, but crucial to our social and emotional development. In The Power of Discord they show how working through the inevitable dissonance of human connection is the path to better relationships with romantic partners, family, friends, and colleagues.

Dr Tronick was one of the first researchers to show, via 'The Still-Face Experiment', that babies are profoundly affected by their parents' emotions and behaviour. His work, which brought about a foundational shift in our understanding of human development, shows that our highly evolved sense of self makes us separate, yet our survival depends on connection.

Working through the volley of mismatch and repair in everyday life helps us form deep, lasting, trusting relationships, and resilience in times of stress and trauma, and a solid sense of self in the world. Drawing on Dr Tronick's research and Dr Gold's clinical experience, The Power of Discord is a refreshing and original look at our ability to relate to others and to ourselves.

About the Authors

Dr Ed Tronick is a developmental and clinical psychologist, and the co-founder of the Child Development Unit at Boston Children's Hospital and the Touchpoints program. He is a distinguished professor of psychology and director of the Infant-Parent Mental Health program at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and a research associate in newborn medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Dr Claudia M. Gold is a paediatrician and writer with a long-standing interest in addressing children's mental-health needs. She practised general and behavioural paediatrics for over 20 years, and currently specialises in infant-parent mental health. She is the author of Keeping Your Child in Mind, The Silenced Child, and The Developmental Science of Early Childhood.