Healthy Relationships: Is The Person I'm With Right For Me?

Hi, I'm Karen Williams. I am a mental health provider for CHI Health, and I want to talk to you today about healthy relationships and relationship satisfaction.

Healthy Relationships Focus on the Other

A lot of people will come to a therapist from time to time, and talk about whether they're satisfied or not in their relationships. One of the very first things that I think is important about relationship satisfaction is recognizing that it's not about you. Good relationships are about the other person. It is about creating a partnership that is meaningful and purposeful. It's a partnership that you both feel on track with.

Communication and Trust are Key

To manage your partners relationship satisfaction, communication is the number one thing that needs to occur. Communication and trust go hand-in-hand. You need to be able to talk to your partner about the good, the bad, anything and everything. In a real partnership when people are concerned about the other, it's not about saying, "What's in it for me," but rather, "What's in it for us," or, "What's in it for my partner." These phrases will create a much greater chance of success. Love, compassion, and a greater sense of ease can allow the relationship to grow.

For more support or help communicating with your partner, please learn more about our CHI Health Behavioral Care Team.