A big part of being able to communicate well is knowing how to listen. One thing I always share with my clients is that listening does not imply agreement. It just helps the person we are talking to know that they are being heard which makes them more ready to listen to us. But good  listening is just one part of good communicating. 

Clients often tell me that they are always arguing about the same things over and over. It starts with something small and then quickly escalates. Nothing ever seems to get resolved. I've found that it's usually because they are not talking about what is really bothering them. That part is painful so they cover it up with trivial things. If you're not talking about the real problem, it won't get resolved. Therapy provides a safe place to go deeper and get closer.

By the way, the same skills that are useful for intimate partners are also good for other relationships: parent and child, coworkers, teacher and student, and so on. 

There is one more thing that I have to mention if we're talking about relationships---trust. Trust is the foundation of all healthy relationships. Without it there cannot be closeness and connection. Trust is so important that it merits more attention than I can give it here. If it's something you'd like to know more about, let's set up an appointment to meet face to face.