How do I know if I am in love with my partner?
It is totally normal to wonder whether you are “in love” with your partner. I view love as a healthy attachment to one’s partner; something we can all have, even if you didn’t have a good model of love growing up. Here are some questions to ask yourself to figure out if you are in love:
- Does your partner make you feel safe and supported?
- Does he/she serve as a buffer against stress and anxiety?
- When you are with your partner, do you feel secure and comfortable in your own skin? Can you be yourself around him/her?
- Is your partner available and responsive when you want to express your feelings?
- Do you feel like you have the right balance of dependence and autonomy in your relationship?
I know these are not simple questions to answer on your own, so working with a therapist is a wonderful way to make sense of how you are feeling about your relationship.
So many of my clients come to therapy to explore how they feel about their partners, to evaluate if they are in a relationship that is healthy and loving, and to determine whether their relationship can stand the test of time.
It is so beneficial to process these questions with a therapist who is non-judgmental and unbiased. As a relationship specialist, I bring my wisdom, training and experience to our work together, and would be honored to help you figure it out!