Break the [wounds + unawareness] cycle and guard your descendents

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Inventory: Our Relationship's
Strengths and Stressors

Affirm What's Good, and Improve What Isn't
p. 1 of 2

By Peter K. Gerlach, MSW

The Web address of this two-page inventory is http://sfhelp.org/08/strnx-strssrs.htm

        Clicking links below will open a full window or an informational popup, so please turn off your brow-ser's popup blocker or allow popups from this nonprofit Web site.

        This is one of over 150 articles focused on healing psychological wounds, building high-nurtur-ance family relationships, breaking the [wounds + unawareness] cycle, and preventing divorce. This intro-duction describes the Web site's purpose and the best ways to use its resources. Each article is part of a mosaic of ideas, so the more you read, the more sense they'll all make. These articles augment, vs. replace, other qualified professional help.

        Before continuing, reflect: why are you reading this - what do you need?

+ + +

        Use this worksheet to assess the valuable aspects of a special present or past relationship, and aspects that cause you tension or distress.

  Suggestions:

  • Print one or several copies of this worksheet;

  • Get in an undistracted space, and allot at least 30" to do this worksheet and reflect;

  • Check to see if your true Self is guiding your other subselves (personality). If not, see Project 1, and be alert for skewed results.

  • Have extra paper, if you feel like writing impressions, thoughts, or reactions;

  • Use colored markers to hilight any special points;

  • Adopt the open, curious "mind of a student," and remind yourself this is not about blaming or faultfinding. Rather this information can be valuable raw material for both affirmations and problem-solving.

  • If questions don't apply, re-word or skip them.

  • Review this summary about the ingredients for a healthy relationship, and note your reactions.

  • Pick the current or past relationship with a special adult you want to evaluate;

  • You can also guess how your partner would respond to a given item by using "x" or another symbol.

  • Remind yourself of your right to disclose and discuss your results here or not;

  • There are no "correct" answers other than yours!

        The goal here is to give you and a partner a chance to clarify aspects of your relationship, affirm the good parts, and identify things that could strengthen it.


  Relationship Factors:  [+] = strength;   [o] = neither   [-] = stressor


Wholistic Health

1)  I'm usually guided by my true Self or  I am committed to increasing true-Self guidance via some form
     of inner-family therapy ("parts work") 
(+ / o / - )

2)  I have _ assessed myself honestly for false-self wounds, and am _ committed to making
     significant progress reducing those that I found 
(+ / o / - )

3)  I am committed to maintaining healthy exercise and diet, and balancing work, play, and rest
    
(+ / o / - )

4)  In calm and stressful times, I'm consistently _ aware of and _ assertive of my needs and personal
     rights as a valuable, lovable, unique person; 
(+ / o / - )

5)  I am evolving a healthy spiritual faith which nourishes and guides me in calm and stressful times
    
(+ / o / - )

6)  You are usually guided by your true Self or  you are clearly committed to increasing true-Self
     guidance via some form of inner-family therapy ("parts work") 
(+ / o / - )

7)  You have _ assessed honestly for false-self wounds, and _ are firmly committed to making significant
     progress reducing those that s/he found 
(+ / o / - )

8)  You are committed to maintaining healthy exercise and diet, and balancing work, play, and rest
     (+ / o / -
)

9)  In calm and stressful times, my partner is consistently _ aware of and _ assertive of his / her
     needs and personal rights as a valuable, lovable, unique person  
(+ / o / - )

10)  You are evolving a healthy spiritual faith which nourishes and guides you in calm and stressful times
      
(+ / o / - )

Love

11)  I am able to form genuine, healthy bonds with you and other people  (+ / o / - )

12)  You are able to form genuine, healthy bonds with me and other people  (+ / o / - )

13)  I consistently feel healthy self-love (vs. egotism)   (+ / o / - )

14)  You consistently feel healthy self-love (vs. egotism)   (+ / o / - )

15)  I feel deeply and consistently loved by you often enough  (+ / o / - )

16)  I love you despite your shortcomings and limitations   (+ / o / - )

17)  You feel deeply and consistently loved by me often enough  (+ / o / - )

18)  You genuinely love me despite my shortcomings and limitations  (+ / o / - )

19)  I’m comfortable enough with the love and/or respect you show my kid/s (+ / o / - )

20)  I feel enough love and/or respect for your child/ren (if any)  (+ / o / - )

21)  I’m OK enough with your feelings about your ex-spouse (if any)  (+ / o / - )

22)  (other)  ______________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )

23)  (other)  ______________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )

Affection, Appreciation,  and Support 

24)  You spontaneously express these to me often enough  (+ / o / - )

25)  I like the way/s you express them  (+ / o / - )

26)  You touch / hug / caress me often enough  (+ / o / - )

27)  I feel truly and consistently supported enough by you  (+ / o / - )

28)  (other)  ______________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )

29)  (other)  ______________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )


Our Communication

30)  I feel you usually understand my major _ feelings, _ thoughts, and _ needs  (+ / o / - )

31)  I feel clear on your _ feelings, _ needs, and _ opinions, often enough  (+ / o / - )

32)  We handle most of our conflicts promptly and fairly enough  (+ / o / - )

33)  We _  resolve our major disagreements - including values conflicts - well enough, and
       _ they usually stay resolved. 
(+ / o / - )

34)  We problem-solve vs. argue, fight, or avoid, consistently enough.  (+ / o / - )

35)  You share enough of your _ ideas, _ fears, _ dreams, and _ emotions with me.  (+ / o / - )

36)  I feel you really listen to me respectfully, often enough.  (+ / o / - )

37)  We usually don't confuse listening with agreeing.  (+ / o / - )

38)  We have no major topics that aren't safe to discuss honestly and directly  (+ / o / - )

39)  You're willing to talk about us in the present, (vs. past or future) enough  (+ / o / - )

40)  I usually feel safe enough with you to tell you my thoughts, needs, and  hopes  (+ / o / - )

41)  We can spot and resolve key communication problems well enough  (+ / o / - )
 

Our Goals and Expectations

42)  We're usually clear enough on what we expect from each other  (+ / o / - )

43)  We agree enough on what I expect of you in our relationship  (+ / o / - )

44)  We agree enough on what you expect of me in our relationship  (+ / o / - )

45)  I feel our main life-goals and relationship-goals are compatible enough  (+ / o / - )

46)  I like the mix of your goals, mine, and ours  (+ / o / - )

47) (other)  ______________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )

48) (other)  ______________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )


Socializing and Friends

49)  I like the mix and balance of your friends, mine, and ours  (+ / o / - )

50)  We spend enough time with _ your friends, _ mine, and _ ours  (+ / o / - )

51)  Our boundaries and limits with our friends are comfortable enough for me  (+ / o / - )

52)  I like the way we usually socialize together  (+ / o / - )

53) (other)  ______________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )

54) (other)  ______________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )


Our Relatives, In-laws, and Ex In-Laws

55)  I get along well enough with your parent/s, sib/s, and other relatives  (+ / o / - )

56)  I like your attitude about my parent/s, sibling/s, and other kin  (+ / o / - )

57)  We spend enough time with _ your family and _ mine  (+ / o / - )

58)  Our boundaries and limits with our families are comfortable enough for me  (+ / o / - )

59) (other) ________________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )

60) (other)  ________________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )


Our Interests and Activities

61)  I enjoy the range of interests we have in common  (+ / o / - )

62)  I like the mix of your interests, mine, and ours  (+ / o / - )

63)  I feel good enough about the time we allocate to doing things together  (+ / o / - )

64) (other)  ______________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )

65) (other)  ______________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )


Sensuality and Sexual Intimacy 

66)  I'm satisfied well enough with our lovemaking _ frequency and _ usual pace  (+ / o / - )

67)  I _ usually feel satisfied enough, and _ really enjoy satisfying you  (+ / o / - )

68)  Our balance of who initiates sensual intimacy is OK enough  (+ / o / - )

69)  The variety of our sensual experiences together is satisfying enough  (+ / o / - )

70)  We usually can talk freely enough about our sensual needs together  (+ / o / - )

71)  You’re aware of and responsive enough to my sensual needs  (+ / o / - )

72) (other)  ____________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )

73) (other)  ____________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )


Our Power and Status Balances

74)  We balance leading and following well enough  (+ / o / - )

75)  Neither of us is too dependent on, or too independent from, the other  (+ / o / - )

76)  You willingly go along with my preferences often enough  (+ / o / - )

77)  I feel our ability to compromise and flex when we have to is a real asset  (+ / o / - )

78)  I feel that we’re clearly partners, vs. opponents, often enough  (+ / o / - )

79)  I’m satisfied enough with who makes our major life-decisions now  (+ / o / - )

80)  (other)  _____________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )

81)  (other)  _____________________________________________________________  (+ / o / - )


 Continued on page 2

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Updated  November 06, 2008