What Makes a Relationship Healthy: Compassion, Triggers, and Mutual Care

n this heartfelt episode, Jennifer Lehr, LMFT, speaks with Kristina about the emotional complexities of building healthy relationships. Kristina shares her personal experiences navigating early relationship challenges, recognizing narcissistic patterns in past partners, and learning the value of emotional safety, compassion, and self-awareness.

Together, they explore how generational trauma, anxiety, and communication blocks impact love — and how healing begins with self-compassion and mutual care.

💗 This episode offers a relatable and hopeful look at what real growth in relationships can look like.

👉 For deeper therapeutic insights on this topic, listen to the follow-up “Therapist Insights” episode on healing relational patterns and building secure love.

💬 Topics We Explore:

• Recognizing the signs of a healthy vs. unhealthy relationship

• How compassion and communication build emotional safety

• Triggers, anxiety, and body-based awareness in love

• The legacy of generational patterns on romantic behavior

• Identifying narcissistic traits in past partners

• Self-reflection and personal growth through relationship

• Why mutual care is foundational in lasting love

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Relationships: A Journey of Growth

06:03 Navigating Triggers and Communication

11:35 The Importance of Timing in Conversations

17:37 Generational Influences on Relationship Skills

22:30 Recognizing Narcissism in Relationships

26:48 The Foundation of a Healthy Relationship

29:26 Introduction to the Podcast and Its Purpose

🎯 Keywords:
signs of a healthy relationship, emotional safety in love, compassion in relationships, recognizing narcissism, communication and triggers in relationships, generational trauma and dating

📲 Hashtags:
#HealthyRelationships #EmotionalSafety #CompassionInLove #RelationshipTriggers #NarcissisticTraits #SelfCompassion #TheYearningHeartPodcast