We all want our relationship to be healthy, but what does that mean? Especially if you’ve had unhealthy partnerships in the past, you might wonder what healthy relationship traits look like in a romantic partnership. Today, we’ll talk about recognizing the traits of a healthy relationship and how counseling or therapy can help if you’re struggling, whether that’s as an individual or as a couple.
Healthy Relationship Traits
Although no relationship is perfect and every relationship is different, there are some healthy relationship traits that should be present in your connection. Here are some of them:
Mutual respect
Mutual respect is crucial in every relationship one can have, whether that’s a romantic relationship or another kind of relationship, such as a friendship. You should have respect and appreciation for your partner and vice versa. In a healthy relationship, you will feel valued and will be appreciated for who you are as an individual. Your partner will make an effort to listen and understand you. Even if they don’t understand every intricacy, they will hear you and welcome you.
Trust
A lack of trust can cause serious problems in a relationship. Trust looks like communicating openly and effectively, keeping your commitments or your word, and acting with honesty and fairness in the relationship. This has to go both ways. There are a number of causes for lack of trust. For some, past relationships may have influenced their ability to trust. For others, something might have happened in their present relationship that broke their trust. Either way, it is possible to work toward trust in a relationship so that current and future relationships can flourish.
Communication
Being able to communicate is vital. In a healthy relationship, you will be able to express your wants, needs, and thoughts. If you struggle with putting your thoughts on the table and it impacts your relationship or if you experience other concerns related to expressing yourself when it counts in your partnership, seeing a counselor or therapist can help you start communicating.
Authenticity
You should be able to be who you are in a relationship, and your partner should appreciate who that person is. You should never feel as though a part of you isn’t respected, nor should you feel like you have to perform or put on an act. Emotional intimacy is crucial in romantic partnerships, and authenticity is imperative when it comes to establishing emotional intimacy as well as true intimacy in other forms.
Affection
Popular modalities of couples counseling often emphasize the importance of affection in a relationship. If you experience contempt toward one another or struggle with continuous or volatile conflict, it’s something to address.
Can Therapy Help Me?
Counseling or therapy can help you create and maintain healthy relationships. If you currently have a partner or partners in the case of polyamorous relationships, seeing a counselor or therapist who works with couples may be beneficial for you. Some therapists specialize in working with polyamorous couples, which is something to consider if you are polyamorous. You can also find LGBTQIA+ therapists, therapists of a specific religious affiliation, and more. Additionally, it’s important to note that individual counseling can help you with interpersonal relationships even if you aren’t coupled. You might be healing past relationship trauma, working on concerns such as fear or nervousness that prevent you from starting or maintaining romantic relationships, or something else. Either way, when you have support from a therapist who is a good match for you, it can be a serious game-changer, and it’s something that everyone seeking help deserves.
Find A Therapist
Whether you’re looking for a couples therapist or an individual therapist, there are a number of ways to find a provider. You can contact your insurance company to see who they cover, utilize an employee assistance program, search the web, or use a website like Mind Diagnostics that can help you locate a provider in your area. All that you have to do is type in your zip code, and you will see a variety of providers with different specialties who are licensed to practice in your area. There are also blog posts about a range of topics on the Mind Diagnostics website: https://www.mind-diagnostics.org/blog/narcissistic-personality. If you have a busy schedule or prefer remote therapy for another reason, you may consider seeing a therapist or counselor online. Regardless of how you find a counselor or therapist, you deserve to get the support that you need and maintain healthy relationships, so don’t hesitate to take the first step.