Relationship Review

According to Dr. Van Kirk our relationships can be evaluated by looking at 6 different factors. He expands on the idea that chemistry attracts us to someone in the beginning but others factors become important when you are looking for a long term partner. Beyond the physical attraction that initially draws us to someone, other aspects must demonstrate compatibility. Dr. Van Kirk suggests these are: personality / Intellectual, lifestyle, spiritual, financial and sexual.

Our goals and desires tend to evolve year by year however it is important that you and your partner commit to roughly the same direction. Financial strain often becomes a problem for couples where one spouse carries more of the weight than another. Some couples are perfectly happy with one party supporting the other and some couples find this causes a divide in their union over time. It is important to examine these 6 aspects of your relationship and outline your expectations. Lifestyle choices often blend into this category because ‘where our money’ is spent becomes a joint venture. Couples tend to have very different ideas of how to spend and save money and this will always vary in each relationship, but it is good to set boundaries early on. Similar to a physical, it is good to routinely check in on your marriage or union, reviewing where you both have gone and where you would like to go next. Relationships remain healthy when both parties are receptive to receiving feedback and making adjustments accordingly. Keeping a healthy balance in the relationship where there is even give causes both parties to feel validation. If a need is unmet for too long, one person is bound to pull away.

For a full review of these relationship aspects and how to improve your relationship or marriage, contact Allegro Counselling today.

Reference

Gresge, G. (2016). The 6 Types of Chemistry and What They Mean for Your Relationship. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from http://www.brit.co/different-types-of-chemistry-in-relationship/