Wellness Wednesday: Dealing with conflict in relationships

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Many couples deal with ups and down from time to time.

Couple and Relationship Therapist, Dr. Darren Moore stopped by the 41NBC studios to share some helpful tips on how to maintain a healthy relationship. Some of the information he discussed included the following:

Key Tips: “Direct Open Honest Communication”
1. Direct: Be direct…if there is a problem, deal with it today not tomorrow,
i. it is common that people deal with issues in their relationship when it has already festered into a major issue.
2. Open…be open to hearing your partner’s perspective,
i. be open to what you may have done to contribute to the problem,
ii. be open to talking about it…
iii. be open…but not that open (leave social media alone),
iv. leave others out of your relationship unless it is an emergency, (domestic violence, or other major issue).
v. Consider seeking professional help such as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist to address conflict.
3. Honest: Be honest about how you feel, how you truly feel…
i. do not try to say what you think your partner wants to hear, just to appease them or make the problem go away, (because it will continue to fester if the real problem is not dealt with).
ii. Be honest…tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
4. Communicate: reflect on how you feel and attempt to communicate these feelings,
i. use “I” statements, such as “I feel” instead of accusatory language such as “You did” etc.
5. Focus on what is important…love, commitment, faith, trust, etc.
i. Consider if the conflict worth it?
ii. Perhaps there a compromise to be made?
iii. Relationship check-ups.

Click on the video to watch the full interview.