Strengthening My Relationship

What is a healthy relationship?

Healthy relationships have some key ingredients such as mutual trust, open communication, shared interests, boundaries, and values. They are equal, respectful, and safe.

Everyone deserves a healthy relationship, including you!

Navigating identity in relationships is something you'll have to deal with throughout your life. How would you handle it if you had a non-Native partner who doesn't understand why certain traditional practices are important to you? How could you explain the importance of these traditions in a way they might understand? Why would you want to? 

StrongHearts Native Helpline outlines these requirements for a healthy intimate relationship: 

• Respect—For yourself and your partner.
• Equality and balance—These two go hand-in-hand as you recognize and support each other's choices and beliefs. 
• Open communication—It’s important that both of you feel comfortable saying what you’re really thinking and feeling.
• Honesty—Telling each other the truth, keeping your word, being faithful, and being able to admit when you’re wrong.
• Trust—It takes time to build trust so that both people feel safe and understand the “give and take” of a relationship.
• Problem solving and fighting fair—Listen to each other, respect your differences, compromise, and figure out what to do differently in the future.
• Friendship, admiration, and affection—Friendship is the basis of any relationship. The person you’re dating should be someone you like, admire, and respect. Never try to change your partner to be someone they’re not. You should also never expect your partner to make you happy. You are responsible for your own happiness. 
• Proactively expressing consent—The two of you engage in a sexual relationship you’re both comfortable with, and neither person feels pressured or forced to engage in sexual activity without consent. Remember, consent is a proactive, not reactive behavior in a healthy relationship.