Being Supportive Grows Your Relationship

What Is Support?

Being supportive in a relationship means providing your partner with the following:

• Acceptance: Accepting your partner for who they are, without judgment. This includes accepting their strengths and weaknesses, their past experiences, and their current thoughts and feelings.
• Understanding: Trying to understand your partner's perspective, even if you don't agree with it. This means listening to them without interrupting, and asking questions to clarify their meaning.
• Empathy: Feeling compassion for your partner's experiences. This means being able to put yourself in their shoes and understand how they are feeling.
• Validation: Letting your partner know that their feelings are valid. This means acknowledging their emotions, even if you don't agree with them.
• Reassurance: Offering your partner support and encouragement. This means letting them know that you believe in them and that you are there for them.​

Examples Of Support

Here are some examples of how you can be supportive in a relationship:

• Listen to your partner without judgment. When they are sharing something with you, try to really listen to what they are saying, without interrupting or trying to fix their problems.
• Ask questions to clarify their meaning. This shows that you are interested in what they have to say and that you are trying to understand their perspective.
• Validate their feelings. Let them know that it is okay to feel the way they are feeling, even if you don't agree with them.
• Offer your support and encouragement. Let them know that you believe in them and that you are there for them.
• Be patient and understanding. It takes time to build a supportive relationship. Be patient with your partner and understanding of their needs.

Therapy Helps

A therapist can help you and your partner be more supportive in your relationship in a number of ways. They can:

• Provide you with tools and techniques for communication and conflict resolution. This can help you learn how to better express your needs and wants, and how to listen to your partner's needs and wants.
• Help you understand your partner's perspective. This can help you to be more empathetic and understanding of their experiences.
• Help you to resolve any underlying issues that may be affecting your relationship. This could include issues such as communication, trust, or intimacy.
• Provide you with a safe space to talk about your relationship. This can be helpful if you are feeling overwhelmed or frustrated.

If you are struggling to be supportive in your relationship, a therapist can be a valuable resource. They can help you to improve your communication skills, understand your partner's perspective, and resolve any underlying issues.