ABSTRACT
It has been said that for couples and families in the 1990s, the commodity most in demand is time (Ventura, 1995). Whatever other issues they may be struggling with—communication, in-laws, childrearing, sex life, money, household responsibilities, and the like—most of the couples I see privately and those whose therapy I supervise mention lack of time as a major issue and frustration. Couple partners complain about lack of time to fulfill work or household responsibilities, lack of time together, lack of time apart, lack of time with extended family or friends, lack of time with their children, lack of time for sex and intimacy, and lack of time just to do nothing. My informal research on couples that I, my colleagues, and my students have seen over the past few years suggests that this perceived lack of time cuts across socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and sexual orientation lines, and is experienced at all stages of the couple life cycle.
