What Makes Intimate Relationships Succeed?
It is a question many of us have asked ourselves at one time or another … Why do some lifelong relationships work, while others deteriorate? What follows is a summary of information and research that may redefine for you what it actually is that comprises a healthy intimate relationship. Please note that throughout this article, when we use the terms ” relationship” and “couple” we are referring to all couples in a variety of intimate relationship configurations including heterosexual, homosexual, and transgender. We believe that these principles apply to all couples regardless of gender, sexual orientation or marital status. Until recently little research was done regarding what makes a relationship succeed. Clifford Notarius, Ph.D. and Howard Markman, Ph.D., authors of “We Can Work It Out” researched thousands of couples over a 20-year period. John Gottman, Ph.D., author of “Why Marriages Succeed Or Fail” and “The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work,” discovered in his resear
