In healthy relationships, both the romantic kind and platonic connections with friends or family members, people approach conflict as a catalyst for positive change, rather than something to avoid, says Maria Thestrup, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Washington, DC.
“Conflict is an opportunity for two people to actually grow and understand themselves better. It's better to see conflict as a catalyst rather than something to avoid.”
The science backs this up. One study found that happily married couples don't argue less than couples in distress, but they do argue differently.
Happy couples tend to be
