Over the last two decades a new type of relationship has emerged: the dual career couple. These couples have a career and not a 9 – 5 job. With both partners pursuing professional satisfaction come many opportunities to strengthen your relationships. However, with the opportunities also come many challenges that could derail the relationship.
There is no secret in building a strong relationship that supports two professionals and their careers. And as research suggests it works across cultures, age, sexual orientation, whether you have children or not – but work it is.
Dual career couples have the added challenge that they need to manage everything we all juggle with ensuring each partner is professionally in a good space. To do that, couples need to be aware the interplay between the different phases in their lives and careers. A career change for one impacts the live of both. A life change of the other impacts the career of both.
My wife and I have been married for over 30 years. We have three children and both of us built a career. We got many things wrong. We got some things right.
Coaching is no cookie-cutter solution. Each couple is different with different desires and needs. Neither is coaching dual career couples therapy. It is a chance to address the challenge of how to discover what both really want from their partnership and careers and how to integrate these desires so that the relationship stays strong.