Terry Real has spent over 30 years teaching people how to show up with clarity, accountability, and love – transforming the way we relate to ourselves and each other.
For 30+ years, Terry’s taught how to foster authentic intimacy, confront disconnection with compassion, and build relationships rooted in truth. His work blends clinical depth with emotional wisdom, helping people heal patterns of shame, grandiosity, and distance.
Featured on Oprah, TED, and in The New York Times, Terry’s bestselling books – including The New Rules of Marriage and Us – have empowered readers to love and lead with depth.
“Nothing is more important in our lives than our relationships. A great relationship boosts your immune system, opens your heart, and keeps you vital and creative.”
Terry teaches that each of us carries adaptive patterns from childhood – protective strategies that once kept us safe but now limit intimacy.
“Real’s approach teaches us how to step outside of the culture of individualism and embrace our interconnectedness. We can use it to heal a single relationship and to shift our collective culture.”
Gwyneth Paltrow,
American actress and businesswoman
To bring the impact of Relational Life Therapy to a wider audience, Terry founded the Relational Life Institute – a hub for training, healing, and the advancement of relational skills.
Today, thousands of mental health practitioners worldwide have adopted the RLT approach, transforming their clients’ relationships, strengthening their clinical practice, and deepening their own capacity for connection.
Terry’s mission is simple yet profound: to empower people everywhere with the relational tools needed to build meaningful, healthy, and lasting relationships.
This work isn’t just for therapists or academics—it’s for anyone who wants to build better, more fulfilling relationships.
Perhaps you’re looking for guidance on how to restore closeness in your relationship, or maybe you’re currently single but looking to learn the skills to build healthier connections.
Either way, you’re in the right place. Here, you’ll find a wealth of resources—from free resources to online courses, all designed to help you forge healthy, fulfilling relationships that last a lifetime.
And if you’re a therapist interested in learning Terry’s Relational Life Therapy method, you’ll find details of our couples therapy trainings.
Join thousands of readers who turn to Terry Real each week for honest guidance, relationship tools, and the kind of clarity that actually changes your life.
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