Couples Counseling

Are you someone who likes to hold hands, give or receive hugs, or just be close to people physically? We each have different preferences in how we feel loved. Sometimes we give love differently from how we receive it. When it comes to the love language of physical touch, people can have different views of what this looks like. Many might think of physical touch primarily for intimacy, but it’s much more than that. It’s a great way to show your “nearness,” “I’m thinking of you,” and “I like you.” A simple touch of the hand or even just being close can make your partner feel more safe, secure, and connected to you.

Among the five love languages, acts of service may be the easiest love language to perform. This is because ANY act done with intentionality and thought can make a person who has this primary love language feel appreciated and loved. Although, it’s not that simple, because just doing ANY act of love, doesn’t necessarily translate to a person feeling loved.

Have you ever been given a gift you loved? How did you feel? I bet you were elated and felt warmth all inside you. You knew the person giving the gift knew what you liked. What about the times you received a gift that you didn’t want? How did you feel then? I know I have felt upset. I even asked myself, “Does this person even know me? Surely this is a prank.” But it wasn’t! Gift-giving is important and is a great way to show people you love them and how much you prioritize them.

As we have discussed in a previous post about the 5 Love Languages, love languages can give insight into how you and your partner give and receive love. This time we will specifically discuss quality time, and 3 tips on how to prioritize your partner whose primary love language is quality time.

Have you ever given your partner a gift, but they just didn’t seem too excited about receiving it? Maybe you felt disappointed that they did not react more enthusiastically. Or have you ever gotten frustrated because you want to go out and do something together, while your partner doesn’t seem to make an effort to create quality time together? 

Well, these scenarios might be happening because you and your partner don’t fully understand each other’s love languages. A great resource for this topic is Dr. Gary Chapman’s book The Five Love Languages.