A separation or divorce is generally too stressful for some people to handle without engaging in what are generally known as "emotional conflicts." These conflicts are generally most severe when the decision to end the relationship is not mutual, but is initiated by one of the partners. These emotional conflicts can result in nonaccidental acts of physical force including shoving, slapping, hair-pulling, throwing, kicking, and using a weapon. This type of violent reaction to emotional stress can occur even in people who are not normally prone to violence.

Emotional conflicts can also result in severe symptoms pointing to mental disorders, even to the degree of clinical depression with suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. The failure to handle emotional conflict in a positive way can have an indirect negative effect on members of the family, particularly children. Sometimes, the individual under stress kills his partner and other family members as well-including innocent children. Such emotional conflicts can also " blind" people from seeking positive alternative behaviors to deal with such conflicts. The aim of this book is to help people to explore such alternative behaviors leading a separation or a divorce the way they got together, namely, happy!