“[M]ost people struggle with in-law issues on some level,” said Meredith Hansen, Psy.D, a clinical psychologist who works with couples in Newport, Calif. For instance, you might feel like your in-laws don’t accept you or they’re overly critical of your spouse. Or they have an opinion on everything from where you live to how you parent your kids.
Having difficulties with your in-laws doesn’t mean you’re in an unhealthy relationship, said F. Diane Barth, LCSW, a psychotherapist and psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City.
It’s similar to conflict. Having conflict doesn’t derail a relationship. But handling it badly can. And the same is true for difficulties with your in-laws. What matters is how you handle these challenges.
Here’s how healthy couples deal with their in-laws.
