Make sure you’re both on the same page about your relationship (8/18)

If this is a great friend, just tell him or her all the nice things you think about them. You don’t have to say the words “I love you” – just say “I’m so glad you’re my friend.” If, on the other hand, you have feelings for this friend, and want to change the nature of your relationship from friends to lovers, it’s a little more complicated.  If you want to turn a friendship into a full-on relationship, and you’re serious about it, then you need to talk about it.  Your friendship will be altered forever when you have sex for the first time.  You have things to lose here, and things to gain. Make sure you’re both on the same page about your relationship.  You can start by saying, “I’m developing some feelings for you beyond friendship, and I want to know how you feel about it.”If you’re thinking about having sex with a friend, be very careful, because it is not easy to preserve a friendship once you have sex. We think we can control our feelings, but it’s not so simple.

Contributors: Tina B. Tessina, PhD, (aka “Dr. Romance”) psychotherapist and author of Dr. Romance’s Guide to Finding Love Today