How Safe and healthy relationships help us heal…
Safe and healthy relationships can help us heal, grow, and learn about ourselves. They do this by:
Creating spaces where we can let our walls down and be vulnerable.
Safe partners and healthy relationships give us space to soften. They give us emotional support, validation, acceptance, and understanding. This support encourages us to learn about ourselves and grow. It gives us space to learn about our wounds and the things that activate us so we can discover how to self-soothe and co-regulate in response.
Offering constructive feedback and expanding our perspectives.
In healthy relationships, we can lovingly hold one another accountable for our actions, which allows for deepening self-awareness, identifying areas for improvement, and making positive changes in our behavior and attitudes. It also exposes us to different perspectives, beliefs, and values, which can encourage open-mindedness, empathy, and a deeper understanding of one another.
Having a positive impact on our self-esteem.
Supportive, loving relationships can help to improve our self-worth, self-esteem, and self-confidence. Feeling valued and appreciated by a partner or even a friend can boost feelings of confidence and worth. Sometimes being deeply loved and supported by another can set in motion a path to more deeply loving and supporting yourself.
Improving our communication and conflict management skills.
Conflict is inevitable, but being in a relationship with someone who listens to you, doesn’t judge and works through issues with you helps you to feel safe expressing yourself. Learning you can disagree, express when things upset you, ask for what you need and not have someone respond in unhealthy ways or make you feel guilty helps you to feel comfortable expressing yourself and supports you in the process of improving your communication and conflict management.
Safe and healthy relationships hold a massive opportunity for growth. Sometimes this will come in the form of a partner, and sometimes it’s in the form of a dear friend. I can’t describe the impact that having safe, secure and supportive friendships can have as you’re healing. If you’re reading this and have struggled with unhealthy romantic relationships, I want you to know that safe and secure relationships where you can grow and heal are absolutely possible. Sometimes it’s about focusing on you and working with a trusted therapist, and sometimes it’s about taking a pause from dating to really nurture your friendships, as they can also be a source of deep love and great healing.
I hope this helps.
Lucille
