LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The pandemic has put a strain on many aspects of life, including relationships. Therapists who specialize in relationship issues say they've seen more new clients over the last year.

“I've had more demand for couples counseling in the last two or three months than I've had in the last 20 years,” said Dr. Larry Springate, a licensed marriage and family therapist with the Center for Relationships in Nicholasville, Tennessee.

Springate says the most common issue that has come up with new clients is communication.

“Communication, taking things personally. So often, couples, one or the other takes things personally,” he said. “Another thing is taking each other for granted.”

While some of these issues may be new, Springate says factors like being home together more often, financial hardships and anxiety over the changing times have heightened issues that may have existed before the pandemic.

He also says with travel restrictions, some couples aren't getting an outlet to relieve stress, which adds more pressure on a relationship.

His advice for couples at odds is to be flexible to a new routine, be patient, and actively listen to your partner.

“Active listening is basically where one person talks at a time and before the other person responds, they check it out to see, 'Let me see if I'm understanding you right. You're concerned about this.' Just checking things out before we react,” said Springate.

He also encourages couples to appreciate each other and says acknowledging small acts can go a long way during a difficult time.

When it comes to seeking professional help, Springate says even if an issue seems minor, having a third party there to talk through it can make a big difference.

This story originally reported by Alex Valverde on LEX18.com.

This Valentine's Day, therapists are issuing a warning: watch your money and your accounts.

Wendy Barlin, a CPA and Chief Strategist for "About Profit," says looks can be deceiving.

"People assume that it's easy for me," Barlin said. "That's because I have a CPA license, so I must know how to manage my money."

Now, at the height of her professional career, Barlin admits it was a rocky road to get to where she now sits.

That road seemed perfect more than 14 years ago when she was happily married. But her then-husband was hiding something.

"Just one more night at the tables, just one more night," Barlin said. "There I am, CPA, a partner in a firm in Los Angeles driving to the casinos at night to drag him out. And I didn't even know the amount he had amassed to follow this winning dream."

That debt, she would later learn, amassed to some $55,000.

"Ultimately, I was responsible for those, and I paid off every single dollar myself."

She's since moved on, remarried, had two kids, and now she helps people make smart money choices, which often ties into smart relationship choices.

"That's where the therapist comes in because I don't always think it's a call for divorce; maybe there is a way out," Barlin said.

Dr. Richelle Moen is a psychologist, a marriage and family therapist, and professor at The University of Minnesota Medical School.

"If you're the first to admit the problem, it makes it a whole lot quicker and deeper in terms of you coming forward and recognizing and stating that you have a problem," Dr. Moen said. "The hope is, and I'm a marriage and family therapist, that we can find a way to repair, but both have to be incredibly motivated to work on this relationship and the commitment to the relationship."

Dr. Moen has seen it all in her 30 years of counseling.

People were hiding purchases, addictions, even child support payments.

"Oftentimes, people wait until they're married to discuss budgets and what's important to you, and so what happens they get into a relationship long term or a marriage and try to figure it out and say whoa that isn't what I was expecting."

She recommends doing the bills and finances together. And while you can't change others, you can change yourself. After all, Wendy Barlin did.

"I still struggle with a lot of these choices every single day, but I have the tools now to help my family and me to manage our money smarter and be more open and honest with each other, so there are no surprises," Barlin said.

Her top piece of advice now? Have three accounts with your partner. A "yours", "mine," and "ours" and bring all the secrets to the table.

Finding that special someone can be tough in the best of times. But couples who met each other over the past year have had to balance getting closer emotionally while staying physically apart.

Dating during the pandemic has come with novelties at every turn. Megan Farley started dating her boyfriend right before staying at home became the norm.

"He's met my mom once, and we've been dating more than a year," Farley said. "It's just kind of strange. We didn't do family holidays and I've been fortunate enough to meet his family too, but every time we do this we have to get tested because his family lives with his grandfather."

Instead of spending time out with each other's friends, they've spent more time inside playing games.

"I feel like it made us bond a little bit more just because we weren't able to have all those other distractions," Farley said. "It really showed the connection we have."

Courtney Quinlan owns Midwest Matchmaking. She said business is not only busy, but dating itself has changed with COVID-19.

"People are dating with the intentions of finding a lasting relationship more so than the previous hook-up culture. A lot of people are A, not having resources to just go out to bars anymore because they're not open, or B, they're scared to do that," Quinlan said.

Sidney Jacobson got into a relationship shortly before the first case of the virus arrived in Iowa. She said she's kept her circle of contacts small, but now she's planning Summerset Winery's first indoor event for Valentine's Day.

"It will be very private, intimate," Jacobson said. "Only 12 groups down in the cellar, and then we made sure that tables are going to be spaced out."

The coronavirus pandemic put a lot of lives on hold for over a year, but Butler County’s health commissioner said she sees a silver lining that might save people from another crisis – this one involving drug overdose and intervention.

In 2020, Ohio emergency rooms saw more than 32,000 overdoses. Butler County statistics show that there were 177 deaths and, according to the coroner’s office, the county is on pace to exceed that number in 2021.

In the past 30 days, Butler County had just one day without an overdose.

“Now that I’m starting to be able to think outside COVID, we’re really ramping up our efforts to reduce overdoses,” Butler County health commissioner Jenny Bailer said

She said local agencies don’t plan to use the same old attack against drug addiction.

“I have most of the important heads of agencies in my cellphone,” Bailer said. “I have their contacts right there. I might not have known them before this, but I know them now and they know me. They can call me anytime, day and night, and I’m happy for them to do that – and we’ll leverage that.”

The Hamilton County addiction coalition, consisting of 40 state, local and federal agencies, launched six years ago when Cincinnati saw its first surge of fentanyl deaths in 2016. Connections between police, fire, public health and others helped get NARCAN on the streets within a week and save lives.

While Butler County isn’t forming an official coalition, Bailer expects partnerships that brought vaccine to fairgrounds, to drive-throughs, pop-up bus clinics and more – to remain a team able to plan, forecast and better respond to addiction and social issues contributing to overdoses.

“So those relationships are not lost and I hope they won’t end,” Bailer said. “We’ll continue to work on things for the citizens of Butler County.”

She also said that local hospitals who were forced to share supplies during the pandemic formed relationships that can be redirected toward addiction and overdose problems