In Disarming the Critical Partner, readers use a variety of assessments and checklists to assess the core "schemas," that drive their partners' critical behavior. The book provides tools for identifying the schemas that attract readers into relationships with critical partners, and then clearly presents a variety of powerful schema therapy skills for reducing criticism, improving communication, and ending destructive relationship patterns.

Critical partners routinely chide others unfairly, blame their partners for things that are out of their control, and exaggerate what they see as character flaws. In a relationship, these behaviors threaten the other partner's self-esteem and may irreparably damage the relationship. Disarming the Critical Partner helps readers end this relationship pattern using schema therapy.