Marriage Counseling During Transitional Times
Certain experiences in our life put more stress on us than we’d expect. Obviously, the death of a loved one, sudden illness and divorce take its toll on the body and mind. But something such as moving to a new location can be extremely stressful as well. Not only the move itself (which most of us know can be quite trying!) but the adjustment to a new location can take years. This was the case of Lorinda and Bobby, a young couple who moved from Texas to New York City.
Both were born and bred Texans. Bobby still dons a cowboy hat. When they had to relocate because of Lorinda’s job, the adjustment period wasn’t going as smoothly as they’d liked. Both were new to city life and neither had many new friends. They became increasingly reliant on one another as their only social system, which began to wear thin after a while.
According to Bobby:
“I love Lorinda. But I pretty much eat, breathe and sleep Lorinda right now. I used to go out with my friends before. I used to go for a drive. You can’t go for a drive in this damn city. You can sit in traffic maybe, but you can’t go for a long drive. Why would anyone want to live here?”
The couples counselor knew that while the couple was unhappy in the Big Apple, they had to make the best of it. She began working on ways for the two to begin networking. She also encouraged both couples to openly talk about how they were feeling. While both were close, they were afraid to discuss their current state of unhappiness. They didn’t want to admit to one another the difficulty each was experiencing.
After many months in therapy, the two both decided that they were ready to “fly on their own” as Lorinda put it. Bobby had made some new friends and Lorinda was busy with her successful career. They even grew to like New York a little!
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- Marriage Counseling during Trying Times
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- Scheduling Times to Resolve Conflicts
- Friendship Provides Support for Today’s Tough Times
- Making Amends through Couples Counseling
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. As much as a couple may love each other, it is essential they be able to branch out separately to experience new things and grow individually. By having these times apart, they often grow closer as they share and discuss their new activities and friends.