Mental Health Week: Building Relationships

Becoming a couple is one of the most complex relationships in adulthood. It is also well known that being a couple can contribute to personal growth and self awareness (Long & Young, 2007). Romantic couples are a unique type of relationship that is different from friendships and family bonds because it is based on romantic love. The triangular love theory aims to define romantic love on the basis of three key characteristics being present. These three characteristics are: intimacy, passion and decision/ commitment (Hendrick, 2004).

The intimacy component of the romantic relationship refers to feelings of closeness and connectedness.  The passionate component refers to the drives that lead to romance, physical attraction, sexual consummation, and other such related phenomena in loving relationships. The decision–commitment component refers to, in the short term, the decision that one loves someone else, and in the long term, the commitment to maintain that love (Hendrick, 2004).

We have published several Blog Posts focused on relationship building skills and strategies. Below are further resources, articles and information.

Resources for the community

1. Coping with Relationship Breakdown (Life Effectiveness Guide)
2. Losing Intimacy in My Relationship (Life Effectiveness Guide)
3. A Step by Step Guide to Problem Solving (Article)
4. Building Trust in Your Relationship – Part 1 & Part 2 (Articles)
5. Maintaining Trust in Your Relationship (Article)
6. Relationships Australia (Support Service)

Resources for mental health professionals

1. Behaviour and Solution Focused Couple Therapy (Article)
2. Finding a way forward together (Article)
3. Solution-Focused Communication Skills Training (Article)
4. Emotional Focused Therapy (Article)
5. Couple Counselling & Pre-Marital Counselling (Professional Development Courses)
6. Clinical Dilemmas in Marriage: The Search for Equal Partnership (Professional Development Video)

About Mental Health Week (9-15 October): http://mentalhealthweek.com.au/

Mental Health Week aims to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the wider community. The Week is an annual national awareness campaign held each year to coincide with World Mental Health Day, which falls on 10 October every year. Local and regional Mental Health Week events organised by local groups and communities add to the ongoing process of enlightenment about the nature of mental illness and the achievability of good mental health.