What Do Healthy Relationships Look Like?

1. Boundaries:Each person can say “no” to requests from the partner/friend when necessary without feeling guilty and be able to tell their partner/friend when something feels not right or hurts them.
2. Both members of the relationship know how to be responsible for their own needs and still take care of the relationship between them.
3. People pleasing is kept to a minimum and neither one feels they are making a “great sacrifice” to stay in the relationship.
4. Each person is able to do their work, attend to their children, care for other aspects of their life, without threatening the relationship.
5. Both members of the relationship protect and nourish the relationship and make it a priority (not addicted to work or substances for example).
6. Arguments or fights do not lead to verbal, physical or emotional (ignoring) abuse or threats of abandonment of the relationship.
7. Both members of the relationship can manage conflict and differences without despair or threats.
8. Both members can communicate wants, needs, feelings, and emotional issues with little or no shame.
9. There is unconditional love but not unconditional agreement.
10. The relationship feels and is nurturing, comfortable, and fun.
11. Both members of the relationship attend to the needs of the other member willingly and lovingly when appropriate.
12. Both members of the relationship can and do keep agreements (maturity) and are honest.
13. Both members can hear feedback from each other.
14. In a partner relationship the sex is mutually pleasing and satisfying.
15. There is commitment:: exits are blocked in the relationship.