The Marriage Counseling Blog

Fran and Laura entered marriage counseling after two years of being together. Fran had begun to exhibit signs of severe depression and Laura was concerned. Fran was an active artist before the “spells” began, with several high-profile galleries competing for her work. Laura was a stay at home mom, raising their adopted child.

In the last year, Fran began working less in her studio and spending more time at home, until she “became a permanent fixture” as Laura put it. No matter how much friends and family encouraged her to continue her work, she became more embedded in her sedentary lifestyle.

When pressed for a reason why, Fran had this to say:

I’m not sure what’s going on with me. I just know the thrill is gone – my work doesn’t mean what it used to mean. Well, nothing means what it used to. I just feel so tired, so listless. I want to be left alone and I want to sleep. I know this is hard on Laura but this isn’t like some magical light switch I can just turn on or off. Trust me, I fight it everyday…but something is pulling me down.

With more exploration by the couples counselor, they discovered that Fran was suffering from depression, perhaps induced by menopause, which she just entered. While couples counseling helped address some immediate coping skills that were needed, Fran eventually sought the medical advice of her gynecologist who put her on mild hormonal therapy. Within a month, Fran called the counselor to express her gratitude. She felt her “old self” again and was amazed that something physical could cause her so much psychological distress.

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