Why We Need Friendship Therapists

Female friendships are complicated--and that's a good thing. Trading intimacies and confidences has always been the wampum of women's relationships. During Covid, especially, I felt a profound ache for my girlfriends. I love my husband, but we don't fall off the sofa laughing or talk incessantly for three hours straight unless we're on a long-ass road trip. This New York Times essay by Rebecca Traister sums up how I feel about women's friendships and why they trump all others. But why is it that we have therapists who specialize in couples counseling, but not friendships? (This very topic came up in a recent meeting, in fact.) We all have pals that pre-date our partners. Friendship therapy should absolutely be a thing and an option to consider if you and a close friend hit a painful impasse. Plus, you can split the bill.

---