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Dear Medical/Health Reporter:

Valentine's Day is a time we set aside to pay tribute to love. Husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, and significant others celebrate their union with flowers, candy, gourmet dinners, or romantic getaways. But what if this year we focused on renewing our commitment to our partners and to our relationships?

A romantic relationship is the hardest thing you'll ever do but it can also be the most rewarding. Marriage or commitment can bring with it heartaches, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings, as well as joys and triumphs. Being prepared to deal with the full gamut of emotions, trials, and challenges with honesty, caring, and support can make the difference between an ongoing long-term relationship and just another in a long list of short-lived ones.

Healthy relationships progress through many phases. Understanding the many phases of love and accepting that there will be lulls in a relationship can help partners cope and move on to another plateau in their union and a greater meaning to their love for each other.

As a service to your community, the APA’s Psychologists in Independent Practice would like to offer a psychologist in your area to speak with you on the subject of committed, successful relationships. He/She would be able to discuss ways to take an honest and meaningful look at relationships and can share tips for empowering partners to make love last. Your readers can call toll-free 1 (877) 603-4000 for a free copy of "Tips for Loving Couples." (click here to read the tips)

APA’s Psychologists in Independent Practice represents independent psychologists, each of whom is a doctoral level professional licensed by his or her particular state. When you need to talk to someone who can help, you need an experienced, licensed psychologist.

I look forward to speaking with you.

Sincerely,