The couple can occasionally be encouraged to socialize individually with family and friends, freeing each spouse from some social obligations. The couple can also share work-related friends and activities to develop a truly supportive social network. Syndrome Lack of support can also occur within the dual career couple's own relationship. Both spouses may feel a sense of insufficient caretaking. There is often a lack of an unofficial second person to provide the back up nurturing, empathetic listening and emotional support.
Work is an easy escape route from conflicts in relationship.
Couples can use the lack of time together as a defense against intimacy. Counselors can teach couples emotional expressiveness by getting into their feelings in counseling sessions. The counselor can support the concept that the existence of marital or family problems should not be viewed as a failure behavior, but that we are only human. If lack of intimacy is based on avoidance of conflict, however, underlying issues need to be brought to the surface and resolved through more traditional therapy. The couple can develop rituals or celebrations that mutually acknowledge the relationship's existence and importance.