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Friendship

11 October, 2016

During our lives we build friendships. Care and maintenance of friendships is important. Below are some ideas that you might consider for the care and maintenance of friendships:

1. Keep it balanced: True friends feel equal in the friendship. Neither person feels taken for granted, put on a pedestal or taken for granted.

2. Deal with conflict: Conflict is usually part of all human relationship. Friends don’t let minor problems grow into big ones. They work on maintaining the relationship even if they disagree and they give each other the benefit of the doubt. This means being willing to be uncomfortable and to work through a problem.

3. Treat you friends as you wish to be treated: Treating your friends as you wish to be treated is very important. Paying attention to your friend’s good qualities, helping them with what is hard for them and accepting them for who they are is important.

4. Encourage: Real friends celebrate their friends’ achievements and they encourage their friends.

5. Stay in Contact: Usually good friends don’t let a lot of time slip by without communicating. A good friend wants to know about your life.

© Máire McAndrew Counselling & Psychotherapy 2024