When Reta Walker was a teenager, she watched couples like others watched sports. Passionate that their love would last, she was heartbroken when it didn’t.
After working as a therapist for the past 25 years, she is as eager as ever to help couples improve their relationships—so much so that she decided to write a book.
“As a therapist, I observed how many relationships broke down, not from being loveless but from couples’ inability to say and show what was needed at the right time,” she says. “This prompted me to write conversation scripts, playbooks and action plans designed to overcome the obstacles to connection.”
Even though she has more than 25,000 face-to-face hours helping individuals and couples live authentic and joyful lives, writing a book was never part of the plan; she was simply compiling notes for herself about which methods had worked well in her practice. They seemed to fall into specific themes, which she later organized into 21 days—hence the Guide to Lasting Love - A Therapist’s 21-Day Program to a Fulfilling Relationship was born. (All names and scenarios have been changed to protect her clients’ privacy.)
“The book could easily be called THIS WORKS,” says Walker.
The goal of the guide is to make lasting love a positive and meaningful experience, she explains. Themes are covered in an organized and sequential way, ensuring readers have an easy blueprint they can follow. Chapter titles, for instance, include:
- Day 1: Creating a purpose-driven relationship,
- Day 2: Finding hope,
- Day 3: Growth mindset, and
- Day 4: Responding to signals for attention.
“Every chapter addresses the issues that keep couples disconnected and their relationship feeling dull and sparse.”
A huge focus of the book is learning how to communicate. Readers who have asked themselves questions like ‘Will this relationship last?’ and ‘How do I know if they are the ONE?’ will find it especially instructive. Walker shares how to navigate through the obstacles to lasting love, explains why we are always looking for the ONE who will help us heal, and outlines what we can expect from change (and how we can make it last).
The book is most helpful for couples 35-50. “They are more aware of their struggles in this age range and it is written to support their busy lifestyles, their need for actionable steps and done-for-you communication scripts,” says Walker.
She also offers couples a Lasting Love Transformation, a 3-6 month program designed to transform you and your relationship. The Lasting Love Courses will be available April 1, and her book is available on Indigo, Amazon or as a signed copy purchased from her website.
You can also connect with her on Linkedin, Instagram and Facebook.
The best news for all couples this Valentine’s Day? “I believe couples can be happy and in love for a lifetime,” says the therapist.
Walker will be at the Modern Bride Wedding Show February 22 and 23, 2025. Book launch events will be listed on her website as they happen.
Walker is based in Oakville, Ontario, offers virtual services worldwide and is a Registered Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Book description:
“We just don’t understand what happened. It was so good in the beginning.”
For master certified relationship counselor Reta Faye Walker, this confession has been a repeated theme from disconnected couples for over twenty years. Deeply informed by her own experience of divorce, Walker knows that when a couple begins to anguish over the “good times” of the past, their relationship has reached a critical juncture. It’s likely time to make the most important decision of the rest of their lives: exit and seek a new, temporary romance, or engage in authentic conversation fueled by daring openness, deep listening, emotional insight, endless curiosity, and a desire to overcome any obstacle—together. Understanding that many people hold a fairy-tale picture of love as a pretty lie built on the fickle recollection of honeymoon ecstasy, Walker shows us how building a foundation of understanding can help lead to true, lasting love that grows richer by the day.
Buy the book – Indigo.ca
Buy the book – Amazon.ca
Modern Bride Wedding Show
- February 22 & 23, 2025
- 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
- The International Centre, Hall 1, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga
- Get tickets now!