Family Strain During a Pandemic

I opened the windows on this 75-degree June Ohio day. The breeze is fresh, awakening. I hear some kids playing in the back yards of my neighborhood. I am almost convinced that 2020 is a placid and normal year.

Most of us know the script for seasons of “normal.” We have learned to juggle the demands of the job, the trek to get groceries, the carpool lane through the city, the waking and sleeping of conversations. During “normal” times, even unhealthy relationships know when to be quiet and when to fight. We have learned to read the signs when routine is set.

But what to do in these times of upended life? The script is still being written for the unemployed partners, for the families grieving illness and death by COVID. For months now, we have been pressing our noses against the glass, looking out at the uncertainty. For marriages, this internal life of pandemic sheltering may have been equally uncertain. Spouses who usually see each other only in the wee hours after work have now been juggling home office space, stepping over each others’ projects and routines. Unemployed partners worry about paychecks. Our hands are filled with more time than money. Parents know the strained conversations about upended schedules. Quarters have been tight.

In family therapy, the relationship is the focus. The patterns of talk, of pushing and pulling, the dance of struggle and worry are given space to breathe. And something new and possible emerges. I would love to talk with you during these days of COVID summer. To help you and your loved ones find a new balance. To feel a hopeful breeze. Let’s talk.