Dr. Ray: Author


New Release

Simple Steps to a Stronger Marriage


In his lighthearted style, Dr. Ray explains that the secret of a good marriage is applying a handful of commonsense, time-tested ideas practiced by others who have done it well. Each chapter in this book presents a baby step you can take, encouragement to overcome resistance to taking the step, and a fictional couple in dialogue with an anonymous therapist (guess who!)

Taught by Ten


Raising ten kids revealed to Dr. Ray Guarendi and his wife, Randi, a lifetime of insightful lessons. Dr. Ray shares his wisdom with clarity and abundant humor, because as any mother or father knows, parenting is too important to be taken too seriously.

And this video is for Jesus: the Master Psychologist, Listen to Him


Jesus knows our minds far more intimately than we do, and He knows the rewards we receive for following the paths He advocates. Dr. Ray’s experience as a father of ten and his mastery of the New Testament enable him to provide recommendations for dealing with numerous daily issues.

Raising Upright Kids in an Upside-Down World: Defying the Anti-Parent Culture


From raunchy television shows to immoral peers, the barriers to raising moral and mature children are higher and more treacherous than ever. In Raising Upright Kids in an Upside-Down World, acclaimed Catholic psychologist Dr. Ray Guarendi offers parents a roadmap through this difficult and sometimes frightening terrain.

BEING A GRANDPARENT: JUST LIKE BEING A PARENT...ONLY DIFFERENT!


Whether your grandchildren live many miles away or under the same roof, Dr. Ray provides insight into your role as a grandparent. He shares answers to real questions from grandparents who seek to understand the boundaries of healthy relationships, while achieving and maintaining optimal fulfillment in their roles as grandparents. Dr. Ray will help you make a positive transition from parent to grandparent by avoiding common pitfalls and grandparent temptations.As the family matriarch or patriarch, you will learn new ways to nurture, develop and protect the loving relationships in your growing and extended family.

Thinking Like Jesus: The Psychology of a Faithful Disciple


How do I handle difficult family members?
What do I do if I can’t control my emotions?
When do I correct others, and when do I hold my tongue?

Too often we are late in realizing that we mishandled a situation, causing both resentment and frustration. But what if you could approach every situation with the mind of Christ?

Discipline That Lasts A Lifetime


This book focuses directly on discipline, answering more than 100 of the most common and frustrating discipline dilemmas parents face: Sibling quibbling, backtalk, bedtime badtimes, temper tempests, whining, birth order, “strong-willed” conduct. If kids do it, and parents face it, Discipline That Lasts a Lifetime aims to answer it. Also available on audiobook as a cd and audio download.

You’re a Better Parent Than You Think!


The motivation behind writing this, my first book, was the many “experts,” making parents feel terribly guilty about their parenting. This “expert advice” was causing parents to second guess their instincts and in the process, lose authority over their children. The goal of this book was to restore parents’ self-confidence and put the parental authority back into their hands, where it belongs. Topics include: establishing authority over young children; teenage discipline; moral correctness vs. psychological correctness; discipline your kids or the world will; children are wired to challenge their parents, and much more. Also available  in a 90-minute live video presentation dvd and audio download.

Good Discipline, Great Teens


In a lively question-and-answer format, Good Discipline, Great Teens, considers issues ranging from curfew to drugs to back talk and equips parents to give their teens a safer, more stable adolescence and character and virtues for a lifetime. Applies to parents of tweens and teens ages 11 through 18. Also available on audiobook cd set.

Advice Worth Ignoring – How Tuning Out The Experts Can Make You A Better Parent


Good advice, right? Not always. Advice Worth Ignoring exposes and counters fifty of the most common pieces of expert advice that undercut the confidence and authority of good parents. This book empowers parents to do what they know works best for their own kids — and helps families grow closer in the process. Also available on audiobook cd set.

Marriage – Small Steps, Big Rewards


Dr. Ray has counseled enough couples to know that building a better relationship with your spouse doesn’t mean learning exotic new communication techniques or rearranging your lifestyle. In fact, a few of his ten “small steps” are lessons you learned in grade school. Dr. Ray helps you to overcome any reluctance you might feel to taking these small steps. Filled with straightforward advice, this book reminds you that a more rewarding marriage is just a few small steps away. Also available on audiobook cd set.

Back to the Family - Proven Advice on Building a Stronger, Happier, Healthier Family


What makes a family healthy and happy? In ‘Back to the Family,’ one hundred of America’s healthiest and happiest families share their answers to that question. It presents the voices of real people, dealing with real family problems — and offers solutions that really work. You’ll find a gold mine of tested, proven discipline strategies, communication techniques, and simple ways to make your family life more rewarding, involving, and fun.

When Faith Causes Family Friction


Do you ever feel like raising kids in the faith is a losing battle? Or maybe your spouse wishes you weren’t quite so religious. Concerns surrounding Christianity and faith can become touchy topics for today’s families. Let Dr. Ray show you the guilt-free way to live your faith and share it peacefully with those you love. Also available on audiobook cd set.

Winning the Discipline Debates


Winning the Discipline Debates covers a series of the most common (and most frustrating) discipline scenarios between parents and kids. The debates are interspersed with Dr. Ray’s enlightening comments and observations. Learn, laugh, and let Dr. Ray coach you to stand strong and become a more confident parent. Also available on audiobook cd set.

Fighting Mad – Practical Solutions for Conquering Anger


How do you deal with anger — and all its emotional counterparts? Parents, children, siblings, spouses, coworkers, even friends: We all struggle with situations that make us angry. Dr. Ray cuts through the psychobabble to present a realistic picture of anger and other emotional issues, and then offers practical solutions for overcoming them. Anger doesn’t have to erupt without warning. Most of the time, managing anger is well within your control. Also available on audiobook cd set.

Adoption – Choosing It, Living It, Loving It


As a father of ten adopted children, this book is a work of the heart. I answer the most commonly asked adoption questions with insight, humor and a heart for the adoptive family. My aim? To dispel unsettling misperceptions about adoption, to encourage others to think about and act on adoption, and to guide adoptive parents to a more relaxed, rewarding family life for all involved.

What Catholics Really Believe


A theologically approved, and fabulously insightful, illuminating, and entertaining dialogue between two friends: Dr. Ray Guarendi and Rev. Kevin Fete. In this transcript and study guide prepared from the television series of the same name, they explore the common misunderstandings of Catholicism and demystify the history of Christianity. Anything but a dry presentation, these guys have fun with what is typically a dry subject — great stuff for the making of saints. With a mixture of history, doctrine, and fun debate, they mine what is often overlooked. Far from two guys’ opinions, the programs quote extensively form Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and writings of the early Church Fathers. This book and study guide, along with the companion DVD will enhance any study of the Catholic faith. They are designed specifically for personal and group educational use in parishes, homes, and schools. Available also as a dvd set and audio download.

Adoption: Should You, Could You, and Then What?


Dr. Ray’s counsel in Adoption is relatable to all families. In an increasingly socially disconnected world, Dr. Ray reminds us that, through commitment and bonding, parents enable children to thrive at “home and beyond.” In discussing how to choose, live, and love adoption, Dr. Ray emphasizes that “a loving, strong parent can do much to put a child on the path to recovery” and counsels, “Never let the opinions of others overrule your decision to adopt.”

Jesus: The Master Psychologist, Listen to Him


Rightly regarded as America’s leading Catholic psychologist and family counselor, EWTN’s Dr. Ray Guarendi details the fundamentals of Christian psychology in his incomparable down-to-earth style, directing us first to the root of all healthy counseling: the words of the Redeemer.

In some teachings, Jesus Is two millennia ahead of what psychology is only now coming to understand. In other, He directly contradicts what today’s psychology preaches. In these pages, Dr. Ray explores the teachings of both modern psychology and Jesus Christ to identify the therapy tools worth employing – and those we should avoid. Most notable, he helps us understand that every tool and counseling guideline worth pursuing can find its roots directly in the words of Christ.