Starter course

Connection · Dating well with apps & AI

Healthy relationship skills: a communication course for couples

Six short lessons on what healthy looks like, talking and listening, disagreeing and repairing, boundaries and consent, warning signs, and getting help.

What you'll cover

What a healthy relationship looks likeThe everyday signs of a healthy relationship, and the idea of a spectrum from healthy to abusive.
Talk and listenSay what you need instead of hoping they’ll guess, and listen without defending.
Disagree well and repairArguments are normal. Raise things gently, avoid contempt, take time out, and repair afterwards.
Boundaries, consent, trust and moneyHealthy partners respect each other’s limits, privacy, choices and money.
Warning signsThe signs of an unhealthy or abusive relationship, in the other person and in yourself.
Getting helpWhere to get confidential support for yourself, how to support a friend, and help if you’re worried about your own behavior.

General education, not counseling, therapy or legal advice. If you feel unsafe or controlled, lessons 5 and 6 list confidential support lines.

trainyourselfCourse guide · step-by-step lessons

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About this course

Healthy relationships: communication skills for couples.

Starter · About 1 hour of learning · 6 lessons · 16 quick checks · 1 download

Who it's for
Adults who want healthier, happier relationships with a partner, and anyone who wants to recognize the signs of an unhealthy one.
How it works
6 guided lessons in your browser, with worked examples, exercises and a quick check after each lesson. Progress is saved in this browser only, and you can restart at any time. You start with just your first name and email, and you can take one whole course that way. After that, a free account lets you continue past lesson 1.
Sources we rely on
15 published sources, mostly regulators and official bodies, listed below so you can check the original guidance yourself.

By the end you can

Describe the signs of a healthy relationship and the healthy-to-abusive spectrum
Ask for what you need clearly and listen without defending
Start disagreements gently and repair afterwards
Set and respect boundaries around time, privacy, consent and money
Recognize warning signs of control and abuse, and know where to get help

Downloads

Healthy relationships workbook .docxFull versions of the course exercises: relationship check-in, weekly couples check-in, disagreement plan, boundaries and money talk, warning signs, and a printable help card.

Rules by country

Australia: 1800RESPECT healthy relationships guidance; 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732 (text 0458 737 732); Men’s Referral Service 1300 766 491; 000.
United Kingdom: GOV.UK domestic abuse guidance; National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247; Respect Phoneline 0808 802 4040 (check current hours on its website, respectphoneline.org.uk); 999, and press 55 on a mobile if you can’t speak.
United States: The Hotline relationship spectrum; The Hotline 1-800-799-7233 (text START to 88788); love is respect 1-866-331-9474; 911.

Learning time

About 1 hour of learning. May count towards your CPD or professional development; check your professional body's rules. Estimated from reading time, exercises, quick checks and downloads.

Sources

Check the originals.

How these courses are made. Spotted an error or out-of-date rule? Send a correction.

Not therapy or counseling. If you're struggling, please contact a support service. In an emergency call 000 (AU), 999 (UK), 911 (US/Canada) or 111 (NZ). Anywhere else, call your local emergency number.

Healthy relationships · 1800RESPECT (Australian Government-funded)
1800RESPECT: national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling service · 1800RESPECT (Australian Government-funded)
Healthy relationships · The Hotline (US)
National Domestic Violence Hotline · The Hotline (US)
Everyone deserves a healthy relationship · love is respect (US, a project of The Hotline)
love is respect · love is respect (US, a project of The Hotline)
National Domestic Abuse Helpline · National Domestic Abuse Helpline (England, run by Refuge)
Domestic abuse: how to get help · GOV.UK
Relationships: tips for success · Better Health Channel (Victorian Government, Australia)
Relationships and communication · Better Health Channel (Victorian Government, Australia)
Men's Referral Service · No to Violence (AU)
Respect Phoneline · Respect (UK)
Triple Zero · Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (AU)
Contact the police · GOV.UK
National 911 Program · 911.gov, NHTSA (US)

Publisher

Who publishes this course.

Published by trainyourself.org, a trading name of Combine TRS Pty Ltd (ABN 42 112 983 678), Brisbane, Australia.

How it's made: researched from published official, public-health, university and support-service guidance (general education, not counselling or therapy), then run through automated quality checks against our course depth standard and automated source checks that match each rule to its official source, listed above. Read how these courses are made.

Last updated: 1 November 2026

General education, not counseling, therapy, medical or legal advice. If you are struggling, contact one of the support services named in this course; in an emergency, call your local emergency number. Spotted an error or an out-of-date rule? Send us a correction.

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Healthy relationship skills: a communication course for couples

Healthy relationships: communication skills for couples.

Who it's for

How it works

Sources we rely on