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Commitment: Relationships are healthiest when both partners
take a long-term perspective toward the relationship, have an intention to
persevere when difficulties arise, and are dedicated to investing into the care
and improvement of the relationship.
Satisfaction: Both partners are committed to individual
satisfaction and growth for themselves and their spouse.
Communication:Partners spend time in quality communication
that is positive, respectful and nurturing with a solution-focused perspective
that involves compromise and humor.
Conflict Resolution: Although all marriages experience
conflict, those in healthy marriages resolve conflict in a manner that fosters
respect, safety and mutual understanding and reduces the long-term impact of
conflict on the relationship.
Lack of Domestic Violence: While conflict may be natural in
a relationship, domestic violence is another story. Domestic violence can be
defined as physical, mental, emotional or verbal abuse and may be a sign of an
unhealthy relationship. More
information on domestic violence.
Fidelity: Being faithful to your partner is important for
developing the safety and trust necessary in a healthy marriage. Research
indicates that feared and actual infidelity is a major concern for contemporary
couples.
Quality Time Together: Couples that enjoy spending time
together and invest quality time in doing things as a couple report higher
levels of marital satisfaction.
Intimacy and Emotional Support:Feelings of trust, caring,
and love, as well as physical affection, represent important dimensions of a
healthy marriage. For tips on building intimacy in your relationship.
Commitment to the children:For couples that have children, a
commitment to the development and well-being of all children born to or adopted
by either spouse can contribute to the health of a marriage.
For additional reading on the elements of a healthy marriage visit:
What is a Healthy Marriage?
The National Healthy
Marriage Resource Center: http://healthymarriageinfo.org/indiv_couple/whatishealthym.cfm
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