Therapists Share Common Topics Discussed Amid Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching implications on mental health, with many therapists still unpacking the last two years with some of their clients to chart a path forward, according to Yahoo News. Here are themes they are commonly seeing in their sessions. 

Relationship struggles

Quarantining has brought issues to light that weren’t there pre-pandemic for some couples, said Josh Jonas, a psychotherapist in New York City at The Village Institute.

“Relationships are very much suffering now that we’ve kind of gotten into this new normal of being around each other all the time … working from home. So now we get to the real difficult parts of relationships,” he said. 

Out of this new normal, Jonas has seen various themes arise. Some partners have needed freedom while others struggle to understand why they’re not feeling connected. Some also struggle with the split of household labor and differing risk tolerances. 

Parents worried about their kids feeling off or behind

Dr. Lateefah Watford, an Atlanta-based child psychiatrist, said some kids have experienced increased anxiety, depression and worry about school amid the pandemic. Navigating virtual learning and not having the same kind of educational support has taken a toll for many.

Students have also missed major social milestones and are feeling like the transition “back to normal” is too abrupt. This includes students who missed those milestones in high school and went to college thereafter, according to Lara Goodrich, a psychologist in Madison, Connecticut.

“Pretty much all of them have reflected on what it was like to have this loss of their later years of high school … many of them feel like they’re behind in their emotional and social maturity as college students,” she said.

Perpetual Uncertainty

Many are also struggling with uncertainty that inevitably came when everything shut down in March 2020, according to Yahoo News. Goodrich said she’s seen a trend of people making decisions out of fear due to that uncertainty.  

“I try to help somebody separate their thoughts and emotions apart from things that are being driven by fear — [those] aren’t decisions that necessarily hold water long-term for us, as they tend to be reactive or impulsive,” she said, adding that while pandemic-based fears are valid, people are struggling to shift to other decision-making processes now.

Anxiety Around Money, Career Shifts and Burnout

The pandemic led to surges in unemployment, leaving millions jobless. Others, like healthcare workers, struggled with burnout due demanding hours. Watford has seen many of her healthcare clients cut hours when they can due to exhaustion.