Women's Health

Problems In Relationships

A healthy relationship is built on a foundation of trust, respect, compromise, and understanding for one another and being comfortable in each other’s company. Healthy relationships can experience problems from time to time and working through problems together is part of being in a relationship. Relationships between women often share similar challenges to other types of relationships, although the added pressure of discrimination against same-sex relationships in the form of homophobia can sometimes add extra pressure and challenges.

Think about what you want

There are many types of relationships and what is right for some in a relationship isn’t right for others. Identifying problems in your relationship will depend on your own boundaries and agreements with your partner or partners. It's important to spend some time on your own considering what it is that you want in a partner and also what you don’t want in a partner. It would also be helpful to think about what you are able to give in a relationship, and what it is like to be in a relationship with you. In other words, you must identify your own boundaries in a relationship for yourself. Some women may not want a partner who smokes or takes illicit drugs. For others it may be the opposite. Some women may feel it is important to share similar political views, others are happy to agree to disagree. Identifying what you want in a partner and within a relationship is crucial to helping you identify and respond to problems in relationships. There are other more logistical issues in a relationship as well such as are you happy to stay at someone else’s house? Are you okay to have them at your house? How many nights, if any, will you spend together per week?

Same-sex domestic violence

Same-sex relationships are not immune from domestic violence. As much as some boundaries differ for everyone in relationships, abuse or violence in a relationship is a different issue. Being the victim of same-sex domestic violence is a serious issue and there are many avenues for accessing information and support if you're experiencing same-sex domestic violence.
Domestic violence isn’t just about physical violence. Abuse can consist of financial control, social control, stalking, intimidation, sexual assault, verbal abuse and also emotional abuse. For more information on same-sex domestic violence please see the Another Closet website.

ACON has services for victims of same-sex domestic violence, including emergency accommodation, counselling and case-management support.

Web: ACON's Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project

Web: ACON Counselling

Web: Another Closet