Turning Towards Your Partner

Turning towards your partner is a simple but vital way to strengthen the connection and intimacy of your partnership. Looking into your partner’s eyes when they tell you about their day, asking them for their opinion on a tough situation, winking at them from across the room - these are all examples of turning towards your partner. 

When two people are dating or in a relationship, their interactions are filled with bids for connection. Being receptive to and responsive to these bids makes our partners feel heard, appreciated, and loved. No one has the capacity to turn towards their partners one hundred percent of the time, and that’s okay! Sometimes we are preoccupied with other thoughts or responsibilities and miss opportunities to turn toward our partner. When there is disconnection or frustration in a relationship, it can be difficult for people to tap into their vulnerability and turn toward each other. 

At Playa Vista Counseling, we work with couples to understand their communication styles and habits of interaction. Talking with a therapist can help couples attune to each other more effectively and more often. As a couple becomes more receptive to each other’s bids for affection, they are able to turn towards each other more frequently and foster a more intimate and fulfilling connection. Watching these connections grow is a true privilege that comes with couples therapy work!