RELATIONSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK: Imagine Your Partner is Beside You

[Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist]

Imagine your partner is right there beside you always. Whatever you do in life, act only as you would if your partner was present. When you live your life this way, you are unlikely to betray your partner. Betrayal isn’t just about infidelity. It is betrayal when you say or do anything that you wouldn’t feel comfortable doing with your partner standing right next to you. It is betrayal to hide behaviors your partner wouldn’t like, belittle your partner or say things to others that you wouldn’t say to his face, write or tolerate flirtatious emails or texts, or make expenditures you feel the need to hide. The list goes on and on. If you feel the need to hide something, you are probably not living in integrity.

Dictate your behavior by whether you’d want your partner to know it. When you use this barometer for your behavior, you will feel more comfortable with yourself, and your partner will feel safe in the knowledge that he can trust you at all times. It's the same kind of trust you want to be able to have in your partner. Imagine your partner is beside you always, and you will become a better partner.

Amy Warren is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Master Certified Relational Life Therapist. She counsels individual and couples in her private practice in Sarasota and nationwide by phone.