Students Seek Relationship Advice

Happy couple

By Clarrissa Lovett

With divorce rates increasing, advice may be the key in saving relationships. The College of Southern Nevada hosted a relationship event where students learned advice on ways to keep their relationships passionate and successful.

“We see lots of students that struggle with relationship problems just seeking therapy services in our office,” said Lisa Schapiro, Counseling and Psychological Services clinician, organizer and speaker at the Hot Tips for Your Relationship event.

Schapiro hopes to give students navigation tools to help them manage their relationships in a healthy manner. The advice given would help with problems such as knowing how to handle yourself when you get into an altercation with your significant other.

Some tips given at the event include: keeping the passion alive, conflict-resolution advice, loving in meaningful ways, and much more.

Damaris Vazquez, a CSN student who attended the event, wanted information on maintaining a more effective relationship with her husband.

“The most important thing was the predictors of dissolution, where you should give three compliments before there is a criticism. That would go a long way in any relationship,” Vazquez said.

“One must know that he or she isn’t a toy or a servant,” said Philip Tuma, a CSN student. Tuma attended the event to learn about positive and negative habits in relationships. Tuma wanted to further his knowledge on how to avoid mistakes in future relationships. Advice Tuma took from the event was that excessive emotional dependency in a relationship may be harmful and that his partner does not always have to meet his needs.

“Something in our nature cries out to be loved by another. Isolation is devastating to the human psyche,” wrote Gary Chapman, author of “The 5 Love Languages.” Relationships are important and our lives may be greatly altered if we do not maintain them in a healthy way.

“Marriage is designed to meet that need for intimacy and love,” Chapman wrote. Being in a healthy relationship full of love may fulfill the people involved in them. Chapman also wrote that you should be sure to keep your partner’s “love tank” full.

Schapiro decided that this year she would take her advice on the road to help others. During her presentation, Schapiro spoke about how it should not always be what your partner wants and that trust needs to be established and maintained.

Schapiro said that communication is a necessary part of a healthy relationship due to the fact that you need to state your needs to your partner.

Hot Tips for Your Relationship took place at three CSN campuses February 11 to 14. This is the first year the presentation has gone to three campuses. The CAPS department is hoping to make this a regular event to take place around Valentine’s Day, though relationship help can be received at CAPS throughout the year.

For more tips on how to have a successful relationship, call CAPS (702) 651-5518.

“Ultimately I hope that people will have a good sense of how to have a successful relationship and what a successful relationship looks like,” Schapiro said.