Enhancing communication, resolving conflict, and building or deepening intimacy — sensuality and sexuality, and a vision for a shared future, are four elements to creating the relationship you want. After the romantic phase when life is good, there comes the power struggle in which many couples get stuck or break up. If you can each learn to listen for understanding and compassion and can begin to own your part of contributing to the difficulties you are experiencing, you can move into real love where there is safety and passion. Some ways to get there include: turning toward behaviors — thank yous; caring behaviors — under 5 minutes and under $5 behaviors you can offer or ask for, and more. There are things to do and things to stretch into doing to be the kind of partner you want to have and to make your relationship better, bring it back from the brink, or anywhere in between. Let’s talk.