Dr. Danielle Forshee, Psy.D., recently spoke with Bustle to discuss ways to let your ex know you don’t want to stay friends.
Dr. Danielle Forshee, Psy.D., doctor of psychology and licensed clinical social worker, tells Bustle that there are two good ways to go about this conversation. First, you can say: “I understand that we were together for a while and it is hard to be apart. Right now, being friends with you is not something I’m ready or able to do. I will reach out to you in the future if anything changes.”
Another option is to be a little bit more gentle. You could say: “This isn’t easy for either of us. I would love for us to remain in each other’s lives because we were so close and shared so many experiences together. Right now, it’s just too painful. … Please let me have some time and space and I will reach out to you if I feel that I can give you friendship in the future,” Dr. Danielle Forshee, Psy.D., says. Of course, how you approach this conversation changes by nature of how you two broke up. Just honor you own needs by being clear with your former partner.
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