Relationships
An interpersonal relationship is a strong, deep, or close association or acquaintance between two or more people that may range in duration from brief to enduring.
—NeuroHeadway
Actions for Now
Steps to Reduce Symptoms
- Attachment Style Test
Learn about attachment styles and how your attachment impacts you and those close to you. - How to make Friends As An Adult in 4 Simple Steps
Ideas for bonding with others when it’s not as simple as meeting in a classroom - 10 Ways To Make You Closer To Your Family
Advice on building common family values and a strong home cultural to bring your immediate relatives together - How To Break The Pattern of Love Addiction
Sometimes your relationships are more about a compulsive need to be with someone than your connection with the other person. Here are ways to move past that. - 36 Questions to Bring You Closer Together
Build up any relationship by getting to know one another with these questions that have been shown to almost always make people feel more positive about one another - 7 meditations on common relationship issues
Topics include kindness, acceptance, and communication among others - DBT Dime Game
An interactive website from the DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy) effectiveness module to help you communicate assertively and set boundaries. - How Do I Set Boundaries With My Divorcing Parents?
Feeling caught in the middle of your parents? Check out these tips. - How to Set Healthy Boundaries
A graphic that makes it easy to just say “no” to obligations you can’t meet - Guided meditation on relationships: Deepak Chopra
This meditation examines your relationships with people and the world at large - How to Beat Feelings of Loneliness
We all feel lonely from time to time; here are tips for getting out of an isolated funk - 5 Ways to Enhance Relationships
Simple advice for strengthening your bonds - How To Make Friends When You’re A Grown Up
More advice on creating new relationships as an adult - Staying (or Becoming) Close with Our Siblings As We Age
Tips on maintaining the sibling bond even after you’ve moved far away or gotten absorbed in busy lives
Apps
- Bumble BFF
A friend finder within the Bumble dating app - Conversation Builder Teen
This app was designed to assist kids and teens with their communication. Initially free, it now costs $19.99 - Couples Coach
For partners who want to improve their relationship and explore new ways to connect. - Gottman Card Decks
Tools for connection, open-ended questions, and other research-based activities to connect loved ones.
Romantic Relationships
- 9 Things You Should Do For A Happy Relationship
This infographic was designed for romantic partners, but can also be applied to platonic relationships - Emotionally Focused Therapy
Learn more about this evidence-based approach to couples treatment and enroll in an online workshop or find a nearby therapist (therapists, learn more about getting certified in EFT here) - Healing from the Aftermath of Infidelity
Sex and relationship expert Dr. Tammy Nelson gives this free webinar on recovering from infidelity. You can also check out her blog on relationship issues like jealousy, consent, and porn. - American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists: Find a therapist or physician who has received extensive training in human sexuality and healthy sexual behavior
- Best Online Dating Sites of 2017
Trying to meet someone new? Check out these sites. - How To Ask Someone Out
This guide will help you present yourself kindly and confidently - Is My Relationship Healthy?
This quiz can help you figure out if your relationship is right for you - 12 Pre-planned Dating Nights
Take the hassle out of date planning - The National Domestic Violence Hotline
Call this number if you suspect your romantic relationship has become harmful - Ending a Marriage, With Grace and Respect
Relationship expert Esther Perel offers guidance on handling your divorce like a respectful ritual rather than an explosive fight - Valentine’s Day for the Single Romantic
An infographic that’ll show you how to enjoy your Valentine’s Day (or any day) while flying solo - 50 Best (Fun) Cheap Date Ideas
Bond with your significant other without breaking the bank - How to Get Over a Breakup, According to Psychology
The best advice for allowing your heart (and mind) to move forward from a difficult breakup - Mend
Supportive articles and audio recordings to help you through your breakup
For Allies
Give the Best Support Possible
- When Someone You Love Is Struggling
An infographic on how to support loved ones who’re going through rough times - How to Be a Resource for a Friend In Need
This article focuses on assisting friends in crisis (such as someone dealing with self-harm or suicidality) - 10 Ways to Get and Give Emotional Support
Psychology Today gives us the lowdown on creating mutually caring relationships - How You Can Support a Partner Who’s Struggling with their Mental Health
Kristin Dart, LICSW, offers tips for those unsure how to best support their significant other during tough psychological times.
Romantic Relationships
- 5 Ways To Help a Friend Who’s In A Bad Relationship
How to healthily and nonjudgmentally assist a friend who’s in a negative situation - 4 Ways To Be A Good Friend During A Friend’s Breakup
What to do (and not to do) for a friend struggling with a breakup - 13 Ways to Be A Good Friend To Someone Getting A Divorce
Even if you haven’t been through one yourself, you can lend a helping hand - How Do I Set Boundaries With My Divorcing Parents?
Feeling caught in the middle of your parents? Check out these tips
You’re Not Alone
Stories
- 22 Heartwarming Stories of True Friendship That Will Make You Call Your Bestie
Remind yourself of how wonderful friendship can be - A Love Letter To My Brother
One woman crafted this letter of appreciation for her sibling, even though she wasn’t all too enthusiastic when he first joined the family - An Open Letter To My Long-Distance Best Friend
After moving to a far-away college, one individual penned this note to her BFF - An Open Letter To My BeautifuL Child Who Will Always Shine
Advice on how to life happily and love oneself from a parent to their child - Friend Breakup Stories: 5 Women Share Their Tales of BFF Heartbreak
If you’ve had to end a meaningful friendship, you’re not alone - How To Build A Family From Scratch
A reflection on how families can be built intentionally, whether they’re biologically related or not
Romantic Relationships
- 3 Things That Finally Made Me Get Over My Fear of Falling In Love
A writer discusses her fear of commitment, and how she eventually moved past it - Readers’ Stories of Being Single
The BBC collected several tales about the joys and hardships of single life - How I Found My Soulmate, Part 1
A blogger reflects on her past struggles and insecurities in relationships, and how she eventually began a relationship with her future husband - Why I Broke Up With Someone I Love
One woman’s story of ending a relationship despite lingering feelings of affection - My Past Relationship Made Me Who I Am Today
The writer reflects on an emotionally and physically abusive relationship - 9 Guys Share The Moment They Knew She Was ‘The One’
Several men describe how they realized their partner was someone they wanted to spend the rest of their life with - This Is Why I’m Choosing To Remain Single (Forever)
A woman explains her unconventional choice - My Divorce Story
Dr. Karen Finn shares how she got through a separation from her partner - Break the Cycle
Educational programs on abusive relations targeting teens and parents
Master the Subject
Learn How It Works
- Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint For Health Policy
This study reviews the ways in which social support affects our physical and psychological health, alongside healthcare and policy implications - Rethinking Infidelity
Therapist Esther Perel examines why people cheat and why affairs can be so traumatic in one of her many TED Talks. - Evolution of the Social Brain In Humans
Why exactly did we evolve to need and appreciate social relationships? - The Evolution of Family and Marriages
Learn how and why these social structures developed in this thorough PDF - 10 Things to Know About Parent-Child Relationships
How can your relationship affect both you and your child’s wellbeing, and vice versa? - How Do Toxic Relationships Hurt Your Health?
Not all relationships are good for you—here’s how unhealthy ones can affect your wellbeing - Dear Sugars
This podcast covers topics including the end of friendships, when it’s okay to meddle in a friend’s life, how to say “no” to others, and more - Healthy vs Unhealthy Friendships
Learn the difference between a supportive and an unhealthy friendship - The Best Apology
This graphic illustrates what meaningful apologies have in common - 10 Rules for Fair Fighting
A graphic detailing how you should and should not approach a conflict - The Road Map to Long-Distance Relationships
Learn how to make your LTR thrive - Making Good Friends
An article with tips on how to make positive connections - Mastering the Art of the Tough Conversation
Get through difficult conversations with relative ease and unhurt feelings - Detoxing Your Social Environment
How can you get rid of unhealthy relationships? - 10 Rules of a Great Conversationalist
Keep people coming back for more with these skills - 4 Tips For Dealing With Difficult Family Members
Your next family event doesn’t have to be painful - Advice for Dealing With Loneliness
An article and infographic about the power of loneliness and how you can fight it - Why We Need Unconditional Love and Acceptance From Our Caregivers
Did you know that acceptance during childhood affects our health and behaviors throughout life?
Romantic Relationships
- Love Explained: The Science of Romance
This section of Scientific American is dedicated to studies about relationships, sex, romance, and more. Articles include “Your Brain In Love” and “True Love: How To Find It.” - 3 Simple Reminders That Being Single is More than Okay
Remind yourself of all the great things about being single, and why it’s not a personal failure - The Best Marriage Advice
An infographic on how you can build and maintain a successful marriage - More Than Two
Information for those engaged in or interested in polyamorous relationships - Traits of a Healthy Relationship
This infographic looks at the common traits of positive relationships - Romantic Relationships
Tips from NAMI on navigating relationships while living with mental illness. - Modern Love Podcast
Based on the popular New York Times column, Modern Love looks at all things rooted in love - Maintaining Intimacy In Long-Term Relationships
How can you keep things close when you’re physically far apart? - 8 Signs It’s Definitely Time To Break Up
For those evaluating their current relationships - 24 Non-Yes Yeses
An article exploring the subtle nature of true consent. - Power and Control
A wheel created by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project listing ways abusers take and maintain power.
Advocate
Connect to the Larger Movement
- National Council on Family Relationships
This nonprofit focuses on family research, education, and practice - Relationships First
Empowering people to speak critically and connect across differences - Hand in Hand Parenting
This group seeks to strengthen parent-child relationships by providing parents with the information they need to provide the best possible care - Best Buddies International
This organization builds strong relationships while fighting the social, economic, and physical isolation of people with learning and developmental disabilities.
Romantic Relationships
- Love Is Respect
A resource for teen relationships. This organization is particularly concerned with issues of dating violence, but its guidelines on healthy relationships and communication strategies are great resources for everyone.