What are relational skills?

Relational skills are brain-based skills that give us the ability and capacity to build meaningful connections with the people in our lives. With practice, relational skills are what we use to maintain our relationships during strain, conflicts and difficulties so we endure hardship well as we stay connected.

Are Relational Skills Relevant to Me?

Ideally, relational skills are learned from our families beginning in infancy. However, we all have gaps.

Maybe you can build connections with others, but you struggle to calm yourself when stressed or anxious. Or maybe you know how to focus on the good things when life is going well, yet you don’t know how to gain God’s perspective during trials and hardship. 

To fill these gaps, we need to intentionally develop the skills that we didn’t receive in our early years. The good news is our brains are never too old to change and never too young to learn. 

How Will Relational Skill Training Impact My Life?

THRIVE resources equip you to further develop your skills and intentionally pass these skills on to others. The effects of developing Relational Skills are similar to the benefits of water to your body –  they touch every area of your life. Some of the most common changes are:

    • As increased ability to enjoy your life and connect with God and others.
    • A deeper sense of peace and contentment through life’s ups and downs.
    • An ability to calm yourself when you experience big emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, or despair.

How can I learn more?

View the short videos in our mini series to learn more about the different ways relational skills can impact your life.

Discover the 5 most foundational relational skills and begin learning with our free webinars, theory courses, and practice courses. 

Want to learn about all 19 of the relational skills? Get an overview of each one + resources that cover the specific skill.

Beginner book resources