Being a good romantic partner means showing love through what you do rather than just what you say. It means listening without interrupting, being honest, and keeping your promises.
A good partner respects their loved one’s feelings, supports their goals, and tries to understand their point of view — even if they don’t fully agree.
You might not have grown up seeing healthy relationships, but you can still become a caring and supportive partner. Books, self-awareness, and therapy can help you understand what it takes to have a strong partnership.
You’re in love and want your partner to feel happy, respected, and supported. But you’ve seen messy breakups and painful divorces — and you don’t want to follow the same path. So, you might be wondering how to be a good partner and what it takes to build a strong, lasting relationship.
A healthy partnership doesn’t require perfection. It’s OK if you’re still learning how to communicate, set boundaries, and resolve conflicts. What matters most is your willingness to grow, learn, and continually show up with care and effort.
Therapy and self-awareness can help you better understand your emotions, communication style, and the habits you bring into the relationship. Additionally, explore these 10 strategies to help you become a better partner.
1. Be present during hard moments
It’s easy to show up when everything is going well, but it matters even more when life gets tough. Maybe your partner is grieving the loss of a friend or family member, stressed about money, or dealing with a health issue. You might not always know the perfect thing to say, but just being there, listening, and showing support for your partner can mean everything.
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2. Listen to understand, not fix
Instead of giving advice right away, slow down and focus on active listening. Make eye contact, put your phone away, and let your partner finish speaking.
If you’re a natural people-pleaser, you might feel pressured to solve the problem right away. But sometimes, your partner doesn’t want answers and just wants to feel heard and understood. In those moments, your calm presence and empathy matter more than any solution. If it feels natural, you can say something like, “Would you like a listening ear or are you open to feedback?” Prompts like this can give you guidance as to what your partner's needs are in the moment.
3. Build trust
If you were betrayed in the past, it’s normal to feel guarded. You may ask for constant reassurance or worry your partner will leave. But trust grows when your words and actions match over time.
Talking openly with your partner about fears, triggers, and boundaries helps both of you feel safe, instead of guessing or assuming.
4. Own your mistakes
Nobody is perfect. When you make a mistake, apologize without blaming your partner or making excuses. Some people might struggle to admit they’re wrong because of rejection, shame, or emotional immaturity.
A simple apology like, “I realize I hurt you. I’m sorry, and I’ll do better,” shows maturity and builds trust.
5. Respect their independence
A healthy relationship gives both people room to grow as people. If you panic or feel abandoned when your partner wants alone time, you might have an anxious attachment style. With therapy and self-awareness, you can learn to develop a secure attachment style — one that supports your partner’s goals, friendships, and personal space.
Wanting time alone doesn’t mean they love you less, it means they value balance.
6. Address insecurity
You can still be a good partner even if you experience insecurity. The key is noticing your emotions instead of letting them control you.
If you feel jealous or start overthinking, pause and ask yourself what’s triggering those feelings. Taking responsibility for your emotions, instead of putting them on your partner, helps the relationship feel safer.
7. Counter conflict with calm
Most couples, if not all, will encounter conflict at some point. Avoiding arguments or pretending everything is fine doesn’t solve anything. But some people think conflict needs to be loud and intense to be real, especially if that’s how they grew up.
Healthy conflict, though, means staying calm, listening, and trying to understand each other’s point of view, even when you disagree. Yelling, blaming, or shutting down is unhealthy conflict — and might be a relationship red flag. Handling conflict with respect can make your relationship stronger.
8. Show authentic affection
Intimacy isn’t just about sex. Happy couples prioritize other forms of affection too, whether it’s holding hands, making time for dates, or words of affirmation. Still, showing affection can be harder for people with avoidant attachment style, alexithymia, or autism — even when they deeply care.
If you’re having a hard time with showing affection, therapy can help you understand an underlying reason, whether it’s past trauma, attachment style, or a mental health condition. Further, they can support you in finding ways to express affection that feel authentic to you.
9. Don’t let resentment build
If you feel hurt, unheard, or treated unfairly, you might begin to resent your partner. Without being addressed, resentment can erode trust and lead to conflict.
Fortunately, you can overcome resentment through clear, direct communication and setting clear expectations for the relationship. Working with a couples therapist can help too.
10. Communicate effectively
Communication is key to a healthy relationship, and it’s a skill that can be strengthened over time. Using “I” statements, focusing on empathy and compromise, and sharing boundaries or expectations are all examples of healthy communication.
If you need help communicating, a therapist can guide you in learning healthier ways to express your thoughts and feelings.
A common pattern that keeps people from being the partner they want to be is reacting from old wounds instead of the present moment. When they learn to pause and respond with awareness and care, connection and understanding naturally deepen.
Ashley Ayala, LMFT
Clinical reviewer
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If you want to be a better partner, you’re already taking the first steps by being willing to learn. A strong relationship isn’t about being perfect but about being aware, intentional, and consistently putting in effort. A therapist can be a wonderful ally for a successful relationship, helping you learn more about yourself, your behaviors, and areas for growth.
At Rula, we’re here to help you feel better. Rula makes it easy to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who takes your insurance. That way, you don’t have to choose between great care and a price you can afford.
Rula patients pay about $15 per session with insurance, and 93% say they feel better after getting care through Rula. We have 21,000+ providers, and appointments are available as soon as tomorrow. We’re here to help you take the next step — wherever you are in your mental health journey.
Linda Childers
Linda is an award-winning medical writer with experience writing for major media outlets, health companies, hospitals, and both consumer and trade print and digital outlets.
Her articles have appeared in the Washington Post, USA Today, WebMD, AARP, Brain+Life, HealthyWomen.org, The Rheumatologist, California Health Report, Everyday Health, HealthCentral, and many other media outlets.
While juggling the responsibilities of being part of the “sandwich generation” and caring for both her toddler son and terminally ill mother, a nurse friend encouraged her to seek therapy, which helped her to learn coping strategies and manage her depression. Linda hopes her work will help to destigmatize mental health conditions and encourage others to get the help they need.
Ashley Ayala, LMFT
Ashley is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in generational healing and family dynamics. Ashley has worked in schools, clinics, and in private practice. She believes that people’s relationships, including our relationship with ourselves, greatly shape our experiences in life.
Ashley is committed to empowering others to show up authentically and deepen their self understanding. This passion stems from taking a critical lens on her own life story and doing inner healing. One of her favorite quotes is “Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.”
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Rula’s editorial team is on a mission to make science-backed mental health insights accessible and practical for every person seeking to better understand or improve mental wellness.
Members of Rula’s clinical leadership team and other expert providers contribute to all published content, offering guidance on themes and insights based on their firsthand experience in the field. Every piece of content is thoroughly reviewed by a clinician before publishing.
