Do You Hold These Additional Distorted Beliefs About Relationships?

We all hold distorted beliefs about how relationships work and don’t work. These beliefs can easily dampen a relationship and spark dissatisfaction in both partners. Our warped ideas can lead us to run for the hills when a seemingly stubborn issue actually has a resolution — and that resolution can help us get closer to our partner and bolster our relationship. Below, you’ll find several distorted beliefs. Check in with yourself to see if you hold them — especially since our thoughts influence the actions we take and the decisions we make. Distorted belief: Healthy couples don’t have conflict “Conflict is a natural consequence of relationships,” said David J. Dumais, LCSW CGP, a group and couple’s therapist in Brooklyn and Manhattan. “[A]ny two people will often want different things at different moments.” Conflict can actually be great for your relationship — if you work through it constructively. That is, if you fight right, you can better understand each other and strengthen your connection.     According to Andrew Christensen, Ph.D, and Neil S. Jacobson, Ph.D, in Reconcilable Differences, “Although they are painful, conflicts offer a window into the emotions of both of you: your disappointments, hopes, strengths, and weaknesses. If you can look at these conflicts not with the goal of blaming and fault finding but with the goal of understanding the strong emotions that drive each of you, you can learn more about yourself and...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Marriage and Divorce Mental Health and Wellness Relationships Anna Osborn Communication Conflict Couples David J. Dumais distorted beliefs healthy couples Healthy Relationships Husband Interpersonal relationship Love marriage f Source Type: blogs