Get unlimited access to everything VICE has to offer.

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door

6 Red Flags You’re Dating Someone Who Is Emotionally Immature

A therapist says emotional immaturity can show up as defensiveness, conflict avoidance, and refusing to talk about the future.

Share on X (Opens in new window)X

Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook

Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard

Dating an emotionally immature partner can be exhausting and even infuriating at times. Though they’re not a bad person, per se, they can make relationships difficult to maintain. 

While everyone has their faults, and most relationships run into some of the following issues, patterns will help you understand whether it’s a deeper issue within your partner. Here are six signs you’re dating an emotionally immature partner, according to a therapist.

1. You Don’t Feel Heard

No one wants to feel as though they’re speaking into the void in their own relationships. A partner who does not take your needs seriously is likely too emotionally immature to show up for you.

“Expressing needs is important in a relationship,” says Dr. Brittany Woolford, Licensed Psychologist and Co-founder of Authentic Connections Therapy and Wellness. “You notice a pattern that when you bring up a need, it’s consistently met........

© Vice