Political differences can easily strain family and couple relationships.  Any differences between people can trigger desires to convince the other to ‘see it my way!’  Convincing, however, is less effective, and more likely to create relationship rifts, than simply sharing perspectives.Some people have more ability to allow others to be different. This ability takes patience. It takes willingness to give the other person the benefit of the doubt. This ability also rests on ability to keep your emotions in the calm zone. My best advice is to channel discussions into other directions. It’s more important to keep a good relationship than win an argument.

“Politics and Relationships.” Psychology Today (2016).

Good recent article on stress and relationships. Although partners in close social relationships often enable one another to manage stress, stress can also undermine the many benefits that these relationships provide. Couple-targeted and stress-targeted interventions both hold promise for empowering couples to sustain their relationship. Good counseling can help reach good results.

Click to access Lavner%20&%20Bradbury%202017.pdf