Healthy Relationships
Everyone deserves a healthy relationship. Whether your significant other/partnership is a friendship or an intimate relationship you deserve to feel respected, supported, encouraged, and free in your relationships. Violence in any relationship is never acceptable.
What does a healthy relationship look like?
Respect
- Partners in the relationship value each others opinions.
- Disagreement is safely allowed and neither partner tries to control or change the others opinion.
- Neither partner makes the other feel guilty or manipulates them when they are told “no”.
- Partners accept responsibility for self and mistakes are accepted and learned from.
- Boundaries are established and respected.
Support
- Partners support each others goals.
- successes are celebrated
- Failures are supported and partners assist and help each other during difficult times.
Trust and honesty
- Both partners trust each other and trust is consistently worked on in the relationship.
- Honesty is important characteristic valued in the relationship.
- Partners are comfortable and safe with each.
- Partners are honest with themselves and each other.
Communication
- Communication is direct. Manipulation, intimidation, and fear are not used when partners communicate.
- Listening is active
- Decisions are negotiated and made together.
- Feelings and needs are free to be expressed
- Conflict is welcomed and dealt with openly with both partners seeking a mutually acceptable outcome.
Autonomy
- Each partner is their own individual and one does not define the other.
- Each partner is confident in their own worth.
- Independence and alone time is accepted and respected. Having activities independent of each other are valued.
- There is room for positive growth. It is encouraged and supported by partners.
Fairness and equality
- Partners are accountable for their behaviors and do not blame each other for feelings or things that happen.
- Forgiveness is essential and present.
- There are no winners in conflicts. Compromise is equal and fair.
- Partners give and receive equally in the relationship. One partner’s needs and feelings are not catered to more then the other.
What does an unhealthy relationship look like?
Healthy conflict and disagreements are normal in relationships as long as they can be resolved in respectful manner. However, if you experience a sudden change in your relationship or notice that a pattern of bad behaviors have developed over a period of time you may want to examine your relationship. If you are experiencing any of the behaviors listed below you may be in an unhealthy relationship and want to seek some support.
- Threats of physical violence towards you, themselves or pets
- Intimidating behaviors including excessive anger, throwing objects, destruction of property, hitting, kicking, punching or slapping
- Violation of Personal Space including violation of physical space with unwanted touching or sexual activity or invasion of virtual spaces by checking emails, texts and phone messages
- Isolation from friends and family
- Suspicion of your actions or Accusations of cheating and Jealousy of friends
- Emotional Abuse such as put downs, name calling, guilt trips, humiliation, ignoring or the silent treatment
- Stalking using excessive contact via phone, email, text or unexpectedly showing up to ‘check up’
