Verywell Mind Releases Relationships & Therapy Survey, Finds 99% of Couples Currently in Therapy Say it Had a Positive Impact on Their Relationship

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Feb 07, 2023, 09:35 ET

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Verywell Mind, one of the largest mental health sites, released findings from its Relationships & Therapy survey. The survey examines the sentiment, impact, and role both couples and individual therapy play in relationships today, how couples decide if and when therapy might be right for them, and accessibility.

Among those who attended couples therapy in the past, most stopped attending couples therapy once they resolved their issues (66%). Cost (26%) & convenience (23%) were second and 3rd for reasons for stopping couples therapy.

The Relationships & Therapy survey found that 37% of those living with their partners have been in couples therapy at some point, and a staggering 99% currently in couples therapy say it had a positive impact on their relationship. While results showed most cohabiting couples (68%) feel it's best to start couples therapy before serious problems arise, surprisingly only 1 in 5 (18%) who attend couples therapy actually did. And though access remains a challenge, having at least one person in therapy proved beneficial to couples – 90% of those who have a partner in therapy say it had a positive impact on their relationship.

"Ninety-two percent of those in couples therapy say it keeps their relationship healthy, and those who are in therapy–couples or individual–are more likely to say their relationship is going smoother than normal. Therapy, whether done together or separately, can be a beneficial tool in relationships to prevent problems from forming and can keep existing issues from becoming bigger," said Amy Morin, LCSW, editor-in-chief, Verywell Mind. "Whether a couple seeks premarital counseling or one partner talks to someone before making a big life change–like moving to a new city or having a baby–therapy can help make transitions smoother."

Findings and analysis of the survey can be found on Verywell Mind detailing the impact of couples and individual therapy in relationships, particularly as marriage rates in the U.S. continue to decline. Some of the most significant survey results include:

Therapy has positive ripple effects in relationships:

99% of couples currently in therapy say it had a positive impact on their relationship.
83% say that couples therapy is a priority in their relationship.
90% say that seeing their own therapist has positively impacted their relationship.
71% of those with previous experience with couples therapy would recommend couples therapy to others.

People are taking a proactive approach to couples therapy

35% started couples therapy before moving in together and 34% started couples therapy before getting married.
1 in 3 (36%) say they started discussing couples therapy within the first 3 years of their relationships.
58% of those in couples therapy say that attending couples therapy has made them more likely to consider individual therapy for themselves.

Barriers and resistance to couples therapy

22% of those formerly in couples therapy said they stopped going because their partner wanted to stop; 26% cited cost, and 23% cited convenience.
Those who considered going to couples therapy didn't because their partner didn't want to (32%), 20% said it was too inconvenient, and 18% decided to go to individual therapy instead.
57% of cohabiting couples say that couples therapy is for very serious relationship problems.
1 in 3 (33%) in couples therapy say that it was difficult to find a therapist.

Partners support therapy in relationships

2 in 3 of those in individual therapy were in therapy before the beginning of the relationship while 33% started therapy during their relationship.
Nearly all who were in individual therapy before starting their relationship (97%) say their partners were supportive once they found out.
25% of those in individual therapy say that their significant others encouraged them to start therapy.
35% have encouraged their partner to consider going to therapy.

For more information on the Relationships & Therapy survey, visit Verywell Mind.

Methodology
Verywell Mind surveyed 1,106 US adults aged 18+ from January 4th to 12th, 2023 who are living with their partner/significant other. The survey was fielded online via self-administered questionnaire to an opt-in panel of respondents from a market research vendor. Quotas were used to ensure representation to match U.S. Census estimates for gender, race/ethnicity, region, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

About Verywell Mind

Verywell Mind is one of the largest mental health sites in the world, serving millions of people every year during their moments of need. The award-winning publication is committed to providing inclusive mental health information through thousands of expert-written, medically-reviewed articles across hundreds of topics and empowers readers to get the mental health treatment they deserve. Verywell Mind is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

SOURCE Verywell