What is couples therapy?
Short answer
Couples therapy is psychological work in which the focus is the relationship between two people rather than either of them in isolation. Sessions are usually joint, and the professional agrees at the start how confidentiality and any individual sessions will work.
How it usually works
The psychologist does not come in as a judge of who is right. The work is usually about how the pair talks, what repeats between them, and what each person can change on their own side.
Some professionals alternate individual sessions. When they do, what is and is not shared must be clear from the start — and it is reasonable to ask.
When only one person wants to go
This is common and does not block anything: one person can seek individual care to work on the relationship. What does not work is bringing someone against their will.
Frequently asked questions
- Is couples therapy for deciding whether to stay together?
- The work does not exist to produce a particular decision. It creates the conditions for the conversation; the decision stays with the people involved.
- Can each of us also have our own therapist?
- Yes, it is common. How the different processes relate is agreed with the professionals involved.