#relationship-resilience

#relationship-resilience

We recently participated in a weekend symposium focused on the intersections of imagination, neuroscience, art, and psychedelics at the UC San Diego Imaginarium. Viewing our couples' therapy work from this perspective was exciting and inspiring, and it reaffirmed something we have always known: The couples that stay vibrant, resilient, and deeply connected are the ones that remain curious about each other and creative and imaginative about their relationship. They don't just love one another. They are present and mindful, and they imagine and play together.

There are days when your self-belief runs dry. Your motivation flickers. The future feels foggy. You know there's something ahead, but you just can't see it clearly. And in romantic relationships, these moments can feel even more fragile. You might question yourself, your partner's intentions, or even the relationship's future. A 2022 study published in Social and Personality Psychology Compass offers a powerful lens through which to understand these moments, as invitations to lean into something called "relational hope."

Charlotte nearly gets hit by a taxi, Trey swoops in, and-charmingly-asks the cab driver to stop the meter while checking on her. For them, this moment becomes "love at first sight," a fairytale beginning they revisit again and again. It isn't just nostalgia -it's a shared story that anchors their relationship, a romantic origin myth that they both cling to.