Relationships of First Responders

First Responder Marriages

First-responder marriages are unique for a variety of reasons.  Although they face the same challenges as mainstream civilian marriages, they also face added challenges that are unique to the line of work.  This impacts the lives involved in these marriages from the spouses to children and extended family/relatives.  Many first-responders are almost never able to make it to family functions, and they often have to work through major holidays.  If your spouse is not also a first-responder and does not have parents or close family who are also in that line of work, in-laws are often not understanding of why their son or daughter-in-law cannot make it to the family Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas get-togethers, birthday celebrations, etcetera.  The first responder parent is often missing from important school events for their children, and they may have to be sleeping at times when the family is awake.  Depending on scheduling, husband and wife may only see each other in passing for a long stretch of time.  One begins work when the other gets off, and perhaps most conversations take place over quick phone calls that are often interrupted by the radio.  Finding a balance can seem impossible, especially when it comes to parenting roles.  In such cases, spouses must brainstorm together to find a good rhythm for maintaining the family unit and parent involvement in the lives of their children.  Counseling affords first responders and their families to process the realities of the job and the impacts on family life.  It provides a safe place to take the needs of everyone involved into consideration, and to find ways to achieve the good rhythm mentioned above in a safe and judgment-free environment.  If you are facing challenges in your first-responder marriage and would like to work toward solutions with my help, please contact me to set up an appointment today!