The Mental Load: What is it, and Why is it So Crucial to Address?
- Invisible labor, cognitive load, “worry work”
- Why equitable division of labor is about more than who-does-what-task
- Contributing factors and the negative impact it has on couples
- Common barriers to addressing the mental load
- Intra- and interpersonal factors of carrying and managing the mental load
The Fair Play Method: An Empowering Approach to Balancing the Load and Improving Relationships
- The “why” of Fair Play
- Key limitations of traditional behavioral strategies (e.g., to-do lists; reminders; calendars)
- CPE: Conceive, Plan, Execute
- Challenging faulty beliefs of “but to what level?”: The Minimum Standard of Care
- Emphasizing communication, ownership, and accountability to improve relationship satisfaction
- Values-based exploration
Clinical Application of Fair Play: Setting Clients up for Long-term Success
- Relational dynamics that exacerbate an age-old relationship issue
- 3 negative relational cycles, informed by Emotional Focused Therapy
- Overfunctioning/underfunctioning, emotional fusion, codependency
- The EFT infinite loop; identifying attachment needs/longing within the mental load dynamic
- How to engage both partners and secure buy-in
- Evaluating internalized assumptions/perceptions
- Value-based exercises for couples’ identification of shared values
- Working with client difficulties related to power and control