Relationship Resources Archives

Couples Quiz: Our Visions for Our Relationship

You feel like your partner isn’t being romantic enough. They feel like you criticize them too much. When there's dissatisfaction in a relationship, it's often because the reality isn’t matching up to your relationship vision -- what you believe that relationship should be. Here's the real kicker, though -- many people don’t even realize they have a vision! In Imago, we have couples work to figure out what that vision is -- separately and then together. How does that work? With a couples quiz. (more…)

Keeping Romance Alive: Imago Relationship Stages in Mature Relationships

The first time you fell for someone, everything was raw and exciting – that whirlwind of attraction and newness. The phrase "relationship stages" was probably 1000 miles away from your mind. Yet, inevitably, the transition occurs when those “love chemicals” start to fade, and you receive a more realistic – sometimes disappointing – view of your partner. And how you reconcile that natural change: whether that means powerful emotion swings involving fighting and making up, deciding to live parallel lives, breaking up altogether or, ideally, forging a conscious relationship. You didn’t know anything, so you probably made a lot of...

Use the New Year to Set Intentions for Your Relationship

Everyone knows about New Year’s resolutions. Even if you don’t typically make your own, you’ve likely heard countless people talking about eating better, going to the gym more, giving up smoking, or any of a million personal goals they might set. Have you ever thought about creating goals like this with your partner, though? I’m not talking about working out together, either – this is about setting intentions for your relationship. What does that mean? Intentions, Not Goals The first thing to note about this is the word “intentions.” While having goals can be inspiring, it can also feel...

Simple Tips to Deepen Emotional Intimacy After Having a Baby

“Becoming a parent is an amazing, wonderful, life-changing experience. You will never feel the same sense of love and responsibility as you do for your newborn, this tiny creature, so completely dependent on you. Many people feel a surge of newfound nurturing – and even a sense of pride and accomplishment as you watch your little one grow. You and your partner – you did this! You two will feel connected like never before as you deepen emotional intimacy during early parenthood. And the journey is just beginning.” We Interrupt This Daydream of Parenting With… Reality That’s a nice...

How Maintaining Individuality Can Lead to a Long-Lasting Relationship

In the world of modern relationships, the idea of maintaining individuality within a partnership may seem counterintuitive. After all, aren't relationships about becoming one, sharing everything, and losing yourself in the other person? If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you may know that my answer will be a resounding “no.” While there is undeniable beauty when two people merge their lives in constructive ways, the key to a long-lasting, healthy relationship lies in finding a balance between deep connection and the preservation and nurturing of your individual identity. Since you can already find countless posts...

5 Ways to Make Your Partner’s Day Better

We all want to feel appreciated and loved in our relationship. It is far too easy to take your partner for granted. Especially in a committed and established relationship. Busy work schedules, raising children, volunteering, and just life in general can contribute to forgetting about your partner. How can we show our love and appreciation to our partner? Simple: take action. Making Your Partner a Priority Involves Taking Specific Actions of Love To make your partner a priority, you need to be deliberate about your actions. When you show Love towards your partner you are taking action towards cultivating the...