What does it really mean to be in a healthy relationship?

For generations, therapists have worked to answer that question. The truth is that people come together (and grow apart) for a variety of different reasons.
When two people feel secure and are in a healthy relationship - whether they're in a romantic, platonic or familial relationship - they experience a deeper level of trust, intimacy and mutual connection.
Yet, as therapists, we see too many people who are stuck in the painful patterns of an unhealthy relationship.
We see the complexity, the messiness, the constant exhaustion, isolation, passive-aggressive behaviors, control, conflict... we see when people can't communicate or move forward... they stay stuck or they just give up.
It's hard to help two people in a relationship where there are significant issues and conflict, espeically when one (or both) partners have experienced trauma and have conflicting attachment styles.