Wellness & SelfcareMental HealthRelationships

Relationships

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Strong relationships are built on a foundation of connection and mutual respect. Creating or strengthening bonds with friends, family, and romantic partners is an evolving process. You often have to navigate conflict and respect boundaries to maintain fulfilling interactions with people who are important to you.

 Improving a relationship may start with increasing your own communication skills and self-awareness. Keep in mind that lifestyle factors also play a significant role in relationship health.

Common Questions & Answers

What are the signs of a healthy relationship?
When a relationship is in a good place, all parties feel mutual respect, trust, and support. Communication is open and without significant barriers.

Practice active listening, or listening closely. Ask questions and summarize what you’ve heard to ensure that the other person feels heard. Keeping communication lines open and seeking compromise are important, since disagreements can actually be healthy.

These are clear limits for yourself and for the people in your life who protect your emotional and physical well-being. These boundaries can vary by person and situation.
In addition to practicing active listening, be sure to express your own needs clearly. Avoid assumptions, which can lead to misunderstandings.

Relationship red flags may include disrespect, manipulation, control issues, and an overall lack of trust. Prioritize your own safety, and consider contacting a friend, family member, or mental health professional if you feel like you need assistance.

Meet Our Experts In Relationships
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Everyday Health’s team of board-certified physicians and health professionals contribute to the creation and review of content, ensuring that the information is useful, up-to-date, and accurate.
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Seth Gillihan, PhD

Medical Reviewer
Seth Gillihan, PhD, is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, who helps people find personal growth by making important changes in their thoughts and habits. His work includes books, podcasts, and one-on-one sessions. He is the the host of the Think Act Be podcast and author of multiple books on mindfulness and CBT, including Retrain Your Brain, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Made Simple, and Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

He completed a doctorate in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania where he continued as a full-time faculty member from 2008 to 2012. He has been in private practice since 2012.
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Leslie Becker-Phelps, PhD

Medical Reviewer
Leslie Becker-Phelps, PhD, is a licensed psychologist based in New Jersey who practices via telehealth in many other states. She has been on the medical staff at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset since 1997 and previously served as its clinical director of women’s psychological services and chief of psychology.

Dr. Becker-Phelps is dedicated to helping people understand themselves and what they need to do to become emotionally and psychologically healthy. She especially encourages people to develop compassionate self-awareness, which enables them to improve their relationships with themselves and others.

Becker-Phelps offers guidance on nurturing a sense of well-being on her YouTube channel and in her writing. She authored the books The Insecure in Love Workbook, Insecure in Love, and Bouncing Back From Rejection, and was the consultant psychologist for Love: The Psychology of Attraction, which was a finalist for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s 2017 Books for Better Living. Becker-Phelps currently writes a blog for her website and a blog called Making Change for Psychology Today. Previously, she wrote a weekly relationships blog for WebMD for over 10 years and was a staff editor for the New Jersey Psychological Association e-newsletter.

Becker-Phelps has presented nationally on a variety of mental health topics. She trains physicians and other mental health providers, as well as facilitates workshops to help lay audiences nurture emotional well-being and achieve their personal goals.
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Sean Hashmi, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor, Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Sean Hashmi, MD, is an experienced nephrologist and obesity medicine specialist based in Southern California. As the regional director for clinical nutrition and weight management at a prominent healthcare organization in Southern California, Dr. Hashmi oversees the development and implementation of cutting-edge nutritional programs and weight management strategies. With his innovative approach and unwavering commitment to providing evidence-based solutions, he is a highly sought-after speaker and a leader in his field.

Hashmi founded the nonprofit organization SelfPrinciple.org to provide accessible and accurate health, nutrition, and wellness information to the public. Through this platform, he shares the latest research findings, empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their well-being. Self Principle also supports children's education by providing scholarships, books, and supplies, so that students have the resources necessary to succeed academically and build a brighter future.

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Dr. Allison Young

Allison Young, MD

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Allison Young, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist providing services via telehealth throughout New York and Florida.

In addition to her private practice, Dr. Young serves as an affiliate professor of psychiatry at Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. She previously taught and mentored medical trainees at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She speaks at national conferences and has published scientific articles on a variety of mental health topics, most notably on the use of evidence-based lifestyle interventions in mental health care.

Young graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University with a bachelor of science degree in neurobiology and theology. She obtained her doctor of medicine degree with honors in neuroscience and physiology from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She continued her training at NYU during her psychiatry residency, when she was among a small group selected to be part of the residency researcher program and studied novel ways to assess and treat mental distress, with a focus on anxiety, trauma, and grief.

During her psychiatry training, Young sought additional training in women’s mental health and cognitive behavioral therapy. She has also studied and completed further training in evidence-based lifestyle interventions in mental health care, including stress management, exercise, and nutrition. She is an active member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, through which she helps create resources as well as educate physicians and patients on the intersection of lifestyle medicine and mental health.

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Resources
  1. What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? New York State.

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