Patience with elderly in-laws is waning

DEAR AMY >> My inlaws are wonderful people. They are now elderly.

Their complaint over the past five years is that I have no patience with them. This has bled over into my relationship with my wife, who complains that I always have to be the smartest person in the room.

Couples counseling proved unfulfilling and solved nothing, because things are even-keeled in our marriage until her parents become involved.

How do you go about finding a good psychotherapist? I have not had much luck in doing so. After all, I apparently have a serious problem.

I have come to believe that I am incompatible with the human race.

DEAR INCOMPATIBLE >> Reading somewhat into your query, I sense a distinct “smartest person in the room” vibe. (But wait — this is supposed to be my room!)

So first, this: Successful counseling depends to a large degree on you surrendering to the process. This requires a level of humility, along with a willingness to work the program, as well as submitting to a sincere desire to change.

It is impossible to do this if you believe (or know for a fact) that you are smarter than your therapist, and if you hold onto this belief as a core value.

Is it possible to be smarter than your counselor, and yet still respect the idea that they might know more about counseling people than you do?

If so, then finding a competent counselor shouldn’t be too hard. (You can find a therapist through personal recommendations, your physician, your local university, or various online databases. I recommend and use the American Psychology Association’s therapist locator at locator.apa.org.)

You say that things are absolutely fine until your elderly in-laws test your patience. I submit that things in your own household might not be fine, and that your marriage could improve — as long as you and your wife are motivated to deal with your stressors and improve your dynamic.

Here’s a truth: Your inlaws will not change in ways that favor your preferences. Instead, they will continue to change in ways that test you.

I wonder if you are smart enough and brave enough to pass this series of tests.

That will be up to you.