2. Gap in language and communications skills
"Many people who work in the tech world tend to be very logical, so when it comes to personal relationships, they don't have language skills" Szekely said. He works to help patients learn how to step out of "work mode" so they can express what they feel and want.
Szekely said that in his experience it's more often men who have issues with communication, but women can also experience issues communicating.
3. Cultural and background differences
Silicon Valley has many people not born in the US, or who are first-generation immigrants. Szekely says that if couples are from different cultures, there are ways that they can miss each other based on assumptions from how they were raised.
"'What does it mean to be a partner? How do I relate to my family of origin? What do you do with kids?' You take these ideas for granted, but when you meet someone from a different culture they can create misunderstandings," according to Szekely.
He noted that even couples from the same culture can experience this issue if one person is more "Americanized" than the other.
4. Decisions about kids
This is another issue in relationships anywhere, but Szekely noted that in Silicon Valley more so than in other more traditional places, having children is not necessarily the default. Couples have to communicate with each other to make a decision.
5. Certain aspects of Silicon Valley life make affairs a bigger issue.
Szekely explained that working in tech can provide more opportunities for affairs than in the past, and more than other industries.
Long hours and constant communication can foster closeness with coworkers, and work trips offer opportunism, Szekely said.
He advises clients to set boundaries with their partners about what is okay, what is flirting, and where they draw the line, before an affair ever happens.