Melissa Petro and her husband Arran.
- Melissa Petro is a freelance writer based in New York with her husband and two small children.
- She recently started couples counseling with her husband in February, just before the coronavirus outbreak had begun in the US.
- Although they were hesitant at first to switch to virtual meetings, the weekly sessions soon began inspiring huge improvements in how Petro and her husband were communicating every day.
- If you find yourself stuck inside or working from home with your partner and are starting to get on each other's nerves, Petro recommends looking into couples therapy - it can be more impactful now than ever.
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My husband and I started couples counseling at the end of February, when coronavirus had yet to be detected in the US. Becoming parents had tested our relationship, and recent challenges in particular - including the arrival of our second baby this past December - had made existing tensions worse. We wanted to communicate better, to treat one another more lovingly and bicker less often, particularly in front of our two year old son, who - much to my heartbreak - had begun acting out when the two of us would start fighting.
Arran and I were three sessions in and things were going well when the public health crisis escalated. As New Yorkers, we were encouraged to practice social distancing and began sheltering in place. We pulled our son out of daycare, and my husband began to work remotely. Thankfully, we've relocated to a spacious house upstate, rather than our 600-foot apartment. Even so, it's been an emotional rollercoaster. Like most Americans, we're stressed about money. We take turns feeling anxious and fearful. We're sometimes at odds when it comes to parenting our rambunctious toddler. Even though we all love to spend time together, we definitely get on one another's nerves.
While the midst of a deadly pandemic may feel like the wrong time to be working on your #couplesgoals, experts are clear in their advice that now is not the time to stop taking actions that address your mental health - and when it comes to interventions like couples or family therapy, it might even be a great time to start.
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