Supporting couples during the cost-of-living crisis

Published in Blog by Andrew Balfour on November 4th 2022

Andrew Balfour, CEO of Tavistock Relationships, outlines the many ways Tavistock Relationships is providing relationship support for couples and families.

The cost of living crisis is already causing significant financial challenges for families in almost all income brackets. Families on low, and low to middle incomes, are being especially badly hit, particularly with the huge increases in fuel bills expected this winter.

Even in less pressured times, money is one of the most common causes of couple conflict. The cost of living crisis will therefore be putting extra strain on people’s mental health, leading to higher rates of depression, stress and anxiety, all of which affect relationships.

There are however, things we can do, which can help us feel a little less powerless and at the mercy of such realities. Drawing on the strengths and resilience of our relationships is one of these.

As individuals, we aren’t in a position to alter the course of the war in Ukraine, or change the fact that food and fuel bills are rising at an alarming rate. There are however, things we can do, which can help us feel a little less powerless and at the mercy of such realities. Drawing on the strengths and resilience of our relationships is one of these.

Tavistock Relationships offers a number of services which can support individuals and couples to better meet the challenges which financial stress and pressure puts on them.

This is not to minimise in any way the very real strain which the increase in the cost of living is placing on families. But looking after our relationships – which includes noticing when, and how, financial strain is pulling us apart as a couple, talking more and learning how to make use of the strengths in our relationships to help us through – are important things to focus on during tough times.

Tavistock Relationships reaches out to couples and families through the following routes:

Full access to our Between Us relationship support App is being offered to couples experiencing relationship difficulties

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Andrew Balfour

by Andrew Balfour

Chief Executive

Andrew Balfour, Chief Executive of Tavistock Relationships, originally trained as a clinical psychologist at University College London and then as an Adult Psychotherapist at the Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust, whilst in a staff post. He then trained as a Couple Psychotherapist at Tavistock Relationships, where for more than 10 years he was Clinical Director before becoming CEO in 2016. He has many years’ experience of working psychotherapeutically with couples, developing new projects and conducting research.

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