You may not have heard of it before, but it is real – and it’s proving to be efficient. It’s…co-founder therapy. And unsurprisingly, it all started in San Francisco, the city of new business ventures and aspiring startups.
If you are a workaholic who co-founded a company, giving this type of therapy a chance might be the greatest asset yet to your working and personal relationship with your business partner.
A Real-Life Example
Cameron Yarbrough and Keegan Walden co-founded a tech company in San Francisco together, although one of them was still living in Buffalo. That, predictably, caused tension: Walden, who had to relocate to the Bay Area, wasn’t too keen on pulling his kids out of school so soon. Yarbrough, on the other hand, needed his partner present to help with all day-to-day challenges. In the end, they gave co-founder therapy a chance.
Co-Founder Therapy Is Like Relationship Counseling but for Businesses
Although it is not about a romantic relationship, business partnerships too rely on commitment on both sides. This is what makes therapy so efficient. In the example of Cameron and Keegan, they quickly understood how important it was to have that kind of professional help in seeking compromise and communicating their emotions and reasoning. Professional therapist, Maya Johansson, says that therapy for co-founders doesn’t differ much from therapy for couples because, in the end, it is all about the systems approach.
No Longer an Emotional Outlet
While many used to laugh at the prospect of co-founder therapy, today, everyone sees it as a necessary leadership tool that helps optimize processes and resolve situations as they are happening. Of course, much like with couples, co-founders don’t seek help because there is also a honeymoon phase. But, once the excitement wears off a bit and tensions begin to rise, they seek help. So, workaholic or not, you and your business partner have nothing to lose from giving therapy a chance.