Question 1

What is the difference between couples therapy and individual therapy?

Accepted Answer

Therapy for couples addresses relationship-focused goals. Both members of the couple engage in the therapy process during each session. Individual therapy is focused on treatment for one person or partner, and most of the time that person attends sessions alone.

Question 2

What happens during your first couples therapy?

Accepted Answer

In the first couples therapy session, you’ll share why you’re seeking out relationship counseling and when and how the issues started in your relationship. You’ll also discuss what you hope to gain from therapy and create goals. Your relationship counselor will tell you about their approach and what you can expect during sessions.

Question 3

Is couples therapy the same as marriage counseling?

Accepted Answer

There are many different types of couples therapy. Sometimes couples therapy is referred to as marriage counseling, but you don’t need to be married or in a monogamous relationship to attend couples counseling. Relationship counseling is for all kinds of partners, including unmarried, LGBTQIA+, nonmonogamous, or polyamorous relationships. As long as everyone shares the same expectations for the relationship, couples counseling can bring about positive changes.

Question 4

Is online couples therapy effective?

Accepted Answer

Therapy for couples can take place in person or virtually. Research shows telehealth is just as effective as in-person relationship counseling. In addition to being convenient and easily accessible, online couples therapy may help people feel more emotionally or physically safe.

Question 5

What is the goal of couples therapy?

Accepted Answer

Each couple’s goals are unique to them. Improving communication is one of the most common goals in therapy for couples. Many times one or both partners aren’t feeling heard, seen, or understood by the other. Couples learn to recognize ineffective behaviors and conflict patterns so they can create healthier communication around those issues and learn how to connect with each other in situations when they’d previously get caught in a pattern of disconnecting.

Question 6

Does couples therapy work?

Accepted Answer

Some couples experience a 70 percent improvement after relationship counseling. There are several research-based couples treatments that have shown significant and sustained gains from treatment. Many people question whether relationships can recover from difficult experiences like infidelity. A growing body of research indicates they can.

Therapy for couples is most successful when everyone is committed to the process and the structure of the relationship moving forward. For example, using couples therapy as a way to decide if you’re going to stay with your partner is daunting because it doesn’t allow for the emotional safety needed to address relationship issues. The stakes are too high. You don’t need to know if you’re going to be with this person forever, but you should at least be committed to the relationship for the foreseeable future.

Relationship counseling also tends to be more effective when there’s a baseline level of steadiness in the relationship. Couples therapy can bring up intense emotions, so you need stability to tolerate and navigate strong feelings. It’s tough to make progress in couples counseling when there’s an unresolved affair, threats of infidelity, recent substance use, or physical abuse. Those issues should be addressed first so the root causes of relationship issues aren’t drowned out by the external signs of the problem. In these situations, couples may feel chronically unsafe with each other, so they may need to do some individual work first to be able to show up in couples counseling in a way that’s resilient, respectful, and productive.

Question 7

How much is couples therapy?

Accepted Answer

The cost of couples therapy varies based on factors like location, therapist credentials, session length, therapy type, and insurance coverage. Without insurance, fees can range from $75 to $200 or more per session. Some therapists offer sliding scale fees or online couples therapy, which can be more affordable. Therapy for couples may also be available through a company-provided mental health benefit like Lyra Health.

For many people, relationship counseling is a worthwhile investment. Healthy relationships are like a protective shield against life’s stressors as well as many physical and mental health conditions. Couples counseling won’t make your relationship perfect, but it can help you learn how to come back together and buffer each other during difficult times.

Is Couples Therapy the Answer?

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