RELATIONSHIP
COUNSELING
The cornerstones of a good relationship
include 1) passion, 2) commitment, 3) intimacy, and 4) love. Passion is
basically physical affection, sex, romance, affiliation, and nurturance combined
with a longing to be with the other person. Commitment can be thought of as
being devoted and bound, both emotionally and intellectually, to the
relationship. Intimacy is a sense of feeling close, connected, or bonded, having
a sense of welfare for the other, wanting happiness for the other, regarding the
other highly, being able to count on the other in times of need, experiencing
mutual understanding, sharing oneself, talking intimately, giving emotional
support, valuing the other, and finding the partner to be predictable and
trustworthy. Finally, love can be thought of as an warm emotional feeling for
the partner. Love is that which is the bonding force of the relationship and
encompasses passion, commitment and intimacy. Of course, there are other things
that interact with these four components such as similarity, predictability,
attraction, personal needs, family concerns, etc.
Now it's not necessary that all of these
components be there in equal amounts. Actually, every relationship is different
and will have varying amounts of these four components and still be deemed
successful and satisfying to each partner. However, problems may occur when one
partner or both fail to devote sufficient attention to one or more of the
relationship components. Also, problems can occur whenever the partners differ
in their definition of these components or whenever one partner puts more into
the relationship than the other.
People seek relationship counseling to
build a stronger relationship, to resolve marital tensions, to avoid a divorce,
or to help deal with the hurt, anger, and guilt that is often involved in relationship problems.,
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