the five stages of a relationship are the merge, doubt and denial, disillusionment, the decision, and wholehearted love. here’s everything you need to know about the five stages of a relationship and what skills couples need to weather each stage. the second stage of a relationship is doubt and denial, in which we finally start to actually notice the differences between us and our partners. power struggles increase, and we marvel at the change in our partner.

because this is …

nature needed a way to ensure that us humans would reproduce (and ensure the survival of our species). for example, it might be useful to know now whether or not you’re both on the same page about having kids, or monogamy etc… if you can get these “deal-breaker” conversations out of the way now, the rest of your relationship will go a lot more smoothly. if you recognize this pattern in your own relationship or marriage, then your relationship has …

you’ve got a goal at the end of this – emotional freedom – and that is what you are pursuing with focus. you are taking control of the situation and starting to feel some clarity returning to your thoughts. you’re feeling ok now, and so maybe it’s safe to dip a toe back in the water and see if you can cope? now, in my case, we were both unavailable, and i was the one who was dying. i think …

by the time you and your significant other have gotten serious enough to sign a certificate, you might assume that you know everything about each other. how do you handle change and the unexpected? will one of you expect to do everything together as a married unit, while the other needs a lot of me-time? what if you have a miscarriage? how will you handle it if we drift apart?work, kids, and life in general will distract you from the …

in this modern day of social distancing, fake instagram relationships that last for two months and daily doses of celebrity filled timelines that boast pour and stir marriages, it’s easy to get lost in the sauce of what it truly means to cultivate a relationship that, hopefully, becomes a coupled alliance capable of overcoming obstacles, surviving disagreements and birthing brown babies. it’s especially difficult when you realize that black folks are still recovering from the systematic trauma of being oppressed. …