Healthy relationships require effort and compromise from both partners and involve open communication, honesty, trust, and respect between partners. There is no power disparity. Partners share decisions, accept each other’s independence, and are free to act independently without fear of repercussions. There is no stalking or refusal to let the other partner go if or when a relationship ends. Setting boundaries allows you and your spouse to address each other’s needs in a way that both of you are comfortable with. Even when you disagree, communication allows you and your spouse to express your emotions in a way that the other person feels comfortable, heard, and unjudged. Building trust requires patience, but it enables couples to be vulnerable with one another because they know they can rely on the other. Giving consent, which is most frequently used when engaging in sexual activity, indicates that you are okay with what is happening and that no one is pressuring you or using guilt to make you do something you don’t want to. Giving consent once does not obligate you to continue giving it in the future; consent can be revoked at any moment.
