The five love languages are often portrayed in media and discussed in everyday conversations with friends, but do love languages really impact our relationships? With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the subject of love is top of mind for many people, so there’s never a better time to start learning more about how we give and receive love. In this blog, we’re going to take a closer look at the love languages and how they impact our relationships.
What Are Love Languages?
The love languages are the ways in which we express our love and affection for those in our lives. While there is often an emphasis of romantic love, the love languages refer to how we show love for all the people in our lives. There are five main love languages:
Words of affirmation – ironically, this is the only love language that is truly about language. People with this love language show their love and feel loved by speaking affectionately and giving compliments.
Acts of service – this love language focuses on performing tasks to show love and support for others. This can be something as simple as doing the laundry or as significant as renovating a room or undertaking other big projects to show affection.
Receiving gifts – this love language isn’t necessarily all about getting the items or
wanting people to spend money on them. Instead, the gifts show people that they have been thought of and cared for when they’re not around.
Quality time – showing undivided attention and care is the heart of this love language. It means removing distractions and just focusing on each other.
Physical touch – this love language shows and receives love through touch. From hugs and hand holding to sexual intimacy, physical touch is essential to a healthy relationship for these individuals.
How Do They Impact Relationships?
While love languages are how we show our affection for others, they are often also how we want to be shown love. For some, understanding the individual’s love language helps them to give love in a way that is meaningful to the other person. For others, knowing how their friends,
loved ones, and romantic partners show love helps them develop a greater appreciation of these ways of showing affection. By understanding and learning to appreciate the ways that our loved ones show affection, we can feel a greater sense of appreciation and learn to show our love in ways that others appreciate.
Can Therapy Help with Relationships?
While understanding the love languages can help to improve relationships, there are times when a little more support is needed. Therapy can provide numerous benefits for relationships, including:
Offering an impartial party who can provide a third perspective and help to navigate challenges.
Creating a safe space to talk through difficult situations in their relationships.
Helping people better understand their complex relationship dynamics, see each other’s perspectives, and resolve long-standing struggles.
Improving communication skills.
Clarifying feelings and deepening connection and intimacy.
Restoring trust and healing following betrayal or breakdown in the relationship.
Learning skills to improve relationships.
How Do I Get Started?
If you’re interested in learning more about couples counseling or any of the other services we provide, the Lotus Psychology Group team would love to hear from you. We do our utmost to make it easy and stress-free for our clients. You can get in touch by calling (248) 957-8973,
emailing info@lotuspsychgroup.com, or completing our contact form.