Couples Therapy for One, Some Go Alone

Many couples wait too long to get help from a therapist.  In my practice, I often ask couples why they waited so long to get help.  Often they respond that they both did not agree to counseling, meaning one wanted to come, but the other did not.  I find myself, regretfully, explaining that one can work on their relationship in therapy, even if their partner won’t go to couples therapy.  And sometimes couples counseling is even more effective for some of my patients when they do attend sessions individually.  The emotional reactivity can be decreased by working on yourself in the relationship without your partner present in the counseling room.  You can stop focusing on fixing the other person and start to focus on how you have control over your own happiness in the relationship.