No matter how two people define “relationship,” they all
involve a certain degree of work, organization, focus, and commitment. As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I’ve
centered my HOPE Based Couple’s Therapy and have found these five secrets
indispensable for those who seek to enjoy long term nourishing and loving
relationships:
Creativity vs. Conformity
Couples who experience joy together are able
to create a structure and framework that is uniquely right for them, as opposed
to automatically conforming to what society says they “should” do. For example, in the world at large it may be considered
“wrong” or “selfish” for one to go on a vacation without a spouse or
partner. But what if one person in a
couple loves travelling and the other hates it?
It is quite possible, and I would argue necessary, for couples who want
to avoid resentments and bitterness to create arrangements that are
specifically right for them. This
pertains to travel, handling money, sexual frequency, child rearing,
socializing with friends, any action or situation that impacts both parties can
be served by being respectfully created and negotiated.
