The coronavirus pandemic has been tough on everyone. But it’s creating distinct problems for partners stuck together in quarantine, says couples therapist and bestselling author Esther Perel. Here, she explains the two states she often sees in couples and families, how the pandemic is changing them, and the one thing therapists can do right now that will help these clients the most.
As Perel mentions, our clients are facing an unprecedented existential crisis right now. What they need, she explains, is for therapists to support them, respect and empathize with their struggles, and above all, normalize what they’re going through.
“What do you do as a therapist in a time like this?” Esther writes in her recent Networker article. “In many ways, our work as therapists is the same as always… You make possible the conversation that enables couples to talk and laugh and cry, and helps them feel they really get each other.”
Esther Perel
Psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern relationships. Fluent in nine languages, she helms a therapy practice in New York City and serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Her celebrated TED talks have garnered more than 40 million views and her international bestseller Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence became a global phenomenon translated into more than 30 languages. Her newest book is the New York Times bestseller The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity (HarperCollins). She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an AASECT certified sex therapist, a member of the American Family Therapy Academy and of the Society for Sex Therapy and Research. Esther is also the host of the hit podcast “Where Should We Begin?” which is available on Apple Podcasts. Her latest project is “Where Should We Begin – A Game of Stories with Esther Perel.” Learn more at EstherPerel.com.
