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5 Relationship Skills Everyone Should Learn, According to Therapists

Active listening, emotional regulation, vulnerability, and repair can help couples handle conflict without turning on each other.

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Dating often brings out the worst in people, as it requires you to get vulnerable and trust the person you’re with. In such a high-risk dynamic, there’s bound to be conflict, fear, insecurity, and even resentment at times. Thankfully, certain skills can help us better navigate our intimate connections. 

According to therapists, here are five crucial relationship skills to develop, so you can show up for yourself and your partner.

While communicating your own feelings and needs is crucial in a relationship, many people forget the importance of listening.

“Active listening is a very important relationship skill,” says Dr. Suzanne Wallach, LMFT, PsyD, Psychotherapist, Executive Director, and Owner at SoCal DBT. “It signals to your partner that you care about what they have to say and that you are able to sit there with them in the present........

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