Maintaining Joint Empathy —
For Couples and Your Closest Relationships ~
Close relationships can be the biggest challenge in terms of keeping both people feeling well-understood and cared for. This is ironic, since we get close to people in part because of what we admire about them, and for the things that we like about how it feels to be with them. But as relationships go on over time, and the individuals evolve, our habits and the habits of our partner can begin to irritate. We also tend to have things we learned and residual feelings from experiences when we were growing up come to the surface in primary relationships, and this can confuse us in terms of the meaning of what the other is saying and doing. The skills you will learn in this package are relationship savers!
1. Individual Differences Contribute to Relationship Difficulties.
People differ in their default ways to express love, and in how they
prefer to maintain emotional stability. If two people differ substantially on
these things, but haven't explicitly acknowledged the differences, trouble
and hurt feelings can result. This Module will help you identify the
differences that are crucial to your relationship.
2. Five Love Languages. In this Module, you will learn five different ways
people use to express love. A person who strongly favors one of these
languages, will typically also expect to receive love from their partner
in the same language. If the partner favors a different language, things
done in the favored language may not register as an expression of love or
affection, which can leave both people feeling unfulfilled and unappreciated.
3. Ways of Maintaining Emotional Stability. In this Module you will learn the
ways people prefer to operate to feel efficient and comfortable in
conducting their affairs. People in couples are often polar opposites on
one or more of these ways. You will learn which ways you favor, and
how to respect the ways very different from your own.
4. Habits to Overcome. Research on couples has identified some common
patterns in communication that predict the demise of the relationship, if
they go on unchanged. In this Module you will learn to recognize these
destructive habits so you are empowered to make different choices for
how you pursue getting your needs met and your feelings treated well.
5. Habits to Cultivate. Couple research has also identified what long
lasting, happy couples do habitually that enhances the relationship and
promotes intimacy. In this Module, you will learn these desirable habits
and begin to practice using them.
People differ in their default ways to express love, and in how they
prefer to maintain emotional stability. If two people differ substantially on
these things, but haven't explicitly acknowledged the differences, trouble
and hurt feelings can result. This Module will help you identify the
differences that are crucial to your relationship.
2. Five Love Languages. In this Module, you will learn five different ways
people use to express love. A person who strongly favors one of these
languages, will typically also expect to receive love from their partner
in the same language. If the partner favors a different language, things
done in the favored language may not register as an expression of love or
affection, which can leave both people feeling unfulfilled and unappreciated.
3. Ways of Maintaining Emotional Stability. In this Module you will learn the
ways people prefer to operate to feel efficient and comfortable in
conducting their affairs. People in couples are often polar opposites on
one or more of these ways. You will learn which ways you favor, and
how to respect the ways very different from your own.
4. Habits to Overcome. Research on couples has identified some common
patterns in communication that predict the demise of the relationship, if
they go on unchanged. In this Module you will learn to recognize these
destructive habits so you are empowered to make different choices for
how you pursue getting your needs met and your feelings treated well.
5. Habits to Cultivate. Couple research has also identified what long
lasting, happy couples do habitually that enhances the relationship and
promotes intimacy. In this Module, you will learn these desirable habits
and begin to practice using them.