Healthy Relationships Take Effort
Building Healthy Relationships in 2025
By Terra Mattson, M.A., LMFT, LPC
There are not shortcuts to anything worth anything. As you consider your own contribution to your leadership, workspace, marriage, children, friendships, and community, consider focusing on just one of these principles embedded in every healthy relationship.
Self-Awareness and Emotional Health: understand how your emotions and past experiences influence you and your relationships. Personal healing and growth are crucial to being able to relate to others in a healthy way.
Authenticity and Vulnerability: Being authentic in a relationship means showing up as your whole self—imperfections and all. Whether it’s in a marriage, friendship, or leadership dynamic, vulnerability deepens trust and opens the door to real connection.
Boundaries: Setting healthy boundaries is an essential aspect of any thriving relationship. Knowing when to say "yes" and when to say "no," and respecting others' boundaries, creates a sense of safety and respect.
Communication Skills: Clear, honest, and empathetic communication is fundamental. Listening actively, speaking with kindness, and expressing emotions responsibly all help in maintaining healthy relationships.
Growth-Oriented Mindset: Viewing challenges and conflicts as opportunities for learning and development rather than as threats. Learn to lean toward and require your investment to heal and grow.
Conflict Resolution: Healthy relationships don’t avoid conflict but learn how to navigate disagreements with grace and respect.
Grace and Forgiveness: No one is perfect, and in any relationship, misunderstandings or mistakes will happen. Extending grace and forgiveness to others (and yourself) helps maintain peace and healing over time.
Commitment: Healthy relationships require commitment. Relationships thrive when both people are invested in the long-term success.
You can apply these to any romantic relationship, family dynamic, friendship, or workplace interaction. If you’re interested in growing here in 2025, check out our Living Wholehearted website and find the right starting place. From marriage counseling, parent coaching, to executive coaching and org development retreats, we are committed to helping you with the people issues that keep you up at night.
If you would like to hear more from Jeff and Terra on marriage, listen to episode 244: Healthy Principles for a Healthy Marriage on the Living Wholehearted Podcast HERE.
