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Understanding Your Results: The Science Behind the Recommendation

The quiz you just completed is based on clinical decision-making criteria that therapists use when assessing couples. Let’s break down the research supporting each recommendation.

When Individual Therapy Comes First

Research from a 2025 meta-analysis on couple-based interventions for depression found that while couple therapy can reduce depressive symptoms, concurrent individual treatment was often necessary for best outcomes when depression was moderate to severe.

Clinical indicators that individual therapy should precede couples work include:

• Active mental illness: Untreated depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, or bipolar disorder
• Substance use disorders: Active addiction requires treatment before meaningful couples work
• Unprocessed trauma: Childhood trauma or past abuse affecting current functioning
• Personality patterns: Chronic patterns from previous relationships indicating individual work needed
• One partner unwilling: If one person refuses couples therapy, the motivated partner can benefit from individual work

When Couples Therapy Is the Right Choice

The Journal of Family Therapy’s 2025 comprehensive review concluded that for relationship distress, couple therapy leads to greater improvements in relationship satisfaction than individual cognitive behavior therapy. This finding held across multiple studies with thousands of couples.

Strong indicators for couples therapy include:

• Communication breakdown: You can’t talk productively about relationship issues
• Conflict cycles: You’re stuck in patterns of pursuit-withdraw or escalating arguments
• Emotional disconnection: You feel like roommates rather than partners
• Life transitions: Major changes (parenthood, relocation, career shifts) straining the relationship
• Betrayal recovery: Working through infidelity or broken trust
• Both partners stable: No untreated mental illness or active addiction

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What Research Shows About Couples Therapy Effectiveness

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When You Need Both Individual and Couples Therapy

Approximately 25-35% of couples presenting for therapy benefit from integrated treatment addressing both individual and relational issues. Research from Frontiers in Psychology 2024 on couple therapy goal identification emphasizes the importance of assessing both individual vulnerabilities and relational patterns.

The Sequential Approach (Most Common)

Most commonly, integrated treatment follows a sequential pattern:

1. Phase 1 (8-16 weeks): Individual therapy for the partner with more acute needs. Focus on stabilizing mental health, developing coping skills, processing trauma, or addressing addiction.
2. Phase 2 (12-24 weeks): Add couples therapy once individual stabilization achieved. Now both partners can engage productively in relationship work.
3. Phase 3 (Ongoing): Continue individual therapy as needed while progressing in couples work. Some people maintain individual therapy long-term for maintenance.

The Concurrent Approach (When Appropriate)

In some cases, both therapies run simultaneously:

• When both partners need individual support
• When individual issues are mild to moderate
• When relationship crisis requires immediate intervention
• When therapists can coordinate effectively

This approach requires careful coordination. At Resolutions Therapy, when clients pursue concurrent individual and couples therapy, therapists collaborate (with your consent) to ensure the work complements rather than conflicts.

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Your Next Steps: Getting Started at Resolutions Therapy

Based on your quiz results, here’s how to move forward:

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Frequently Asked Questions: Do I Need Couples Therapy or Individual Therapy?

Can we do couples therapy if one partner has depression or anxiety?

It depends on severity. Mild to moderate anxiety or depression doesn’t preclude couples therapy, especially if the person is already in treatment or willing to start individual therapy concurrently. However, severe depression, untreated anxiety disorders, or active suicidal ideation require individual stabilization first. According to the 2025 research on depression and couple therapy, integrated treatment (both individual and couples) often works best when depression is present.

What if we disagree on whether we need couples or individual therapy?

This is common and actually diagnostic information. When partners disagree, it often means one person sees the issues as relational while the other sees them as individual—both perspectives may be partially true. Schedule a consultation at Resolutions Therapy where a therapist can assess both perspectives professionally. Often a hybrid approach (one person in individual therapy, occasional couples check-ins) works well during assessment phase. The motivated partner can always start individual therapy while the other decides.

How long does individual therapy take before we can start couples work?

This varies by issue severity. For mild to moderate issues, 8-12 weeks of individual therapy often provides sufficient stabilization to add couples work. For more complex trauma or severe mental illness, 4-6 months may be needed. Your individual therapist will help determine when you’re ready. Some couples start seeing relationship improvement even before adding couples therapy, as individual growth naturally affects the relationship positively. At Resolutions Therapy, we coordinate this transition carefully.

Is couples therapy covered by insurance?

Insurance coverage for couples therapy varies. Most insurance plans DO NOT cover couples therapy when billed as “marital counseling” since insurance covers medical/mental health treatment, not relationship enhancement. However, if one partner has a diagnosable mental health condition (depression, anxiety) that’s being addressed in the couples context, some insurance will cover it. Individual therapy is almost always covered. At Resolutions Therapy, we accept most major insurance for individual therapy and offer self-pay options ($60-$125 sliding scale) for couples therapy. Call (316) 721-8118 to verify your specific coverage.

Can individual therapy make our relationship worse?

In rare cases, yes—but usually this indicates the relationship had underlying problems. Individual therapy helps people develop boundaries, recognize unhealthy patterns, and advocate for their needs. If a relationship was based on one person’s over-functioning or tolerating unacceptable behavior, individual therapy may surface these issues. This feels like “making things worse” but actually brings necessary problems to light. Quality individual therapists (like those at Resolutions Therapy) are trained to consider relationship context and will suggest couples therapy when appropriate. Growth is sometimes uncomfortable but ultimately healthy.

What if my partner refuses therapy but I need help?

Start individual therapy. You can work on your own responses, boundaries, communication skills, and well-being regardless of whether your partner participates. Surprisingly, individual therapy for one partner often positively affects the relationship because you change your part of the dynamic. Many times, the resistant partner becomes interested in therapy after seeing changes in you. Even if they never join, you benefit from support, clarity, and tools. At Resolutions Therapy, we help individuals in this situation develop strategies for their relationship challenges while respecting their partner’s choice not to participate.

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About This Quiz: This assessment tool was developed by licensed therapists at Resolutions Therapy based on clinical decision-making criteria and peer-reviewed research on therapy effectiveness. It is designed to help you make an informed decision about treatment, not to provide a diagnosis. Only qualified mental health professionals can determine the most appropriate treatment approach after comprehensive assessment.

Medical Disclaimer: This quiz provides educational guidance and should not replace professional consultation. Relationship and mental health issues are complex and require personalized assessment. The recommendations provided are starting points for discussion with qualified therapists. If you’re experiencing crisis, safety concerns, or severe mental health symptoms, please call Resolutions Therapy at (316) 721-8118 or seek emergency care.

Last Updated: February 2026 | Research Sources: Information based on peer-reviewed research from the Journal of Family Therapy (Carr, 2025), PMC couple therapy effectiveness studies, meta-analyses on couple-based interventions for depression (2025), and clinical practice guidelines. All research citations are linked throughout the article.

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