Worried about that family Christmas? Here’s how you can avoid the rows | Susanna Abse

It's always a busy time of year for couples therapists like myself, but there are ways to protect your relationship from the stress

A few weeks ago, I received my first Christmas card from a carpet-cleaning company I sometimes use. A garish green and red, I opened it to read: May the Joy of Family Light Up Your Christmas, followed by the suggestion that I might like to freshen" up my carpets for the coming seasonal guests.

This card, which was selling the idea that family is the true spirit of Christmas and the source of all happiness has, of course, some truth in it. But it's no great secret that the festive season can also place big demands on our most intimate relationships.

Susanna Abse is a couples psychotherapist and author of Tell Me the Truth About Love