Stages of a relationship, explained by therapist

From infatuation to acceptance, here are four stages of a relationship, explained by Therapist Elizabeth Earnshaw.

A relationship goes through a lot of stages in order transcend through the initial feelings to understanding each other and eventually finding the beauty in the imperfections to settle down with. A healthy relationship takes a lot of effort from both ends to make things work out and create a safe and happy space for two people to grow individually and also together. A relationship starts with initial feelings of infatuation and then slowly goes through the stages of realisation of falling for each other. Often tension makes up for the third stage in the relationship, and finally finding a common ground to stay with each other.

Stages of a relationship, explained by therapist (Pixabay)

Therapist Elizabeth Earnshaw addressed this and wrote, “Our relationships move through different stages as we get to know each other. Sometimes, they flow in and out of certain stages, and sometimes we can get really stuck in other stages.⁠⁠” She further explained the four stages of a relationship:

Realisation: During this stage, the love hormones start to wane, and we start to see the person for who they really are. Often, we are in conflict with what we thought before and how things turned up. This is also the stage where we start to realise several truths of the relationship.

Tension: The differences of both people involved in the relationship are addressed in this phase. Often couples stay in the tension phase for a long time. This stage can also break a relationship if people cannot sustain the relationship.

Acceptance: During this phase, people move away from the fantasy idea of a relationship and start to accept the differences. They also make efforts to accept each other and find a common ground to be together.