Description:

Nikki Sunshine - "An 80-year-long Harvard study concluded that our health over time is greatly determined by the quality of the relationships in our lives. It's no secret that as human beings we not only desire close relationships but we absolutely need them. The problem is that close and intimate relationships over time require personal responsibility, conscious effort, and skills. Most of us didn't learn the complex nature of navigating intimate relationships in school, so we've been left to figure out this tricky-terrain once we find ourselves in a close relationship come adulthood.
The main issue I see at the root in all the couples I work with is a lack of proper communication between both parties. Sometimes, that means that feelings are 'brushed under the rug' rather than explored together. Sometimes, this comes in the form of simply withholding the truth in fear of the consequences of speaking the truth. Sometimes, this can manifest in passive-aggressive (and often passionless) energy within the relationship. Or this lack of skilled and authentic communication can show up as massive arguments and frequent fighting.
Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you? First, please know that you are not alone. Also, you were likely never taught how to do this stuff, so release yourself of blame. Instead, choose right now to empower yourself with awareness, knowledge and skills that can set you up for success in your relationships going forward.
In my experience, fear and expectation are the biggest blocks to open and authentic communication in relationship. Fear could look like ""I'm scared to cause tension in the relationship"" or ""I'm scared they will think I'm too much if I reveal myself"" or ""I'm scared they will judge me."" Expectaton maylook like ""I'm not going to give them what they need because they have not given me what I need"" or ""I'll change once the other changes first."" We will talk about fears, how to identify them and how to live an auth