Couples form initially from a personal sense of physical attraction. They talk, there’s some emotional intimacy. Out of that, if both feel an attraction, comes a mutual desire for companionship and more conversation. Mutual respect and trust increases and romantic love may ensue. Romantic love is commonly viewed as the first stage of an intimate … read more
All intimate relationships have doldrums at times. Romance starts to fade and reality sets in. What was vibrant and alive may now start to seem sluggish, stale, routine, and disappointing. Bills, chores, work, roles, stresses, time (or lack of), the myriad and mundane ennui of life, creep in and you might begin to wonder “What … read more
The third stage of relationships, after romantic love and adjusting to reality, is often a power struggle. Disagreements deepen and become more frequent and minor annoyances become major irritants. This can be a slow process or an abrupt blowout. Couples often have thoughts of separating or divorcing once they reach this stage because their formerly … read more
Re-evaluation is the fourth stage in relationship development. Webster’s says re-evaluation involves the action of assessing or evaluating something again or differently. We often consciously re-evaluate different aspects of our lives – work, goals, relationships, etc. We take some hard looks at where we are in relation to where we want to be. We can … read more
