Survey Highlights Positive Impact of Couples Therapy

Key Findings:

• A survey revealed that 99% of couples who have been in therapy reported a positive impact on their relationship.
• 76% said couples therapy had a high or very high impact on their relationship.
• Overwhelmingly, participants found couples therapy worth the investment, with 94% expressing satisfaction with their choice to seek therapy.
• 83% prioritize couples therapy in their relationship.
• Most couples who stopped therapy reported that they did so because it had successfully resolved their issues.

Survey Demographics:

• The survey included 1,106 US adults living with their partners.
• Only 37% of participants had ever been in couples therapy.
• A small percentage, only 10%, were currently engaged in couples therapy.

Proactive Therapy and Stigmas:

• Many couples seek therapy early in their relationship:
  • 36% discussed couples therapy within the first 3 years of being together.
  • 35% initiated therapy before moving in together.
  • 34% started therapy before getting married.
• Despite these proactive measures, the median couple waited 4 years into their relationship to start therapy.
• A significant 14% had been together for over 10 years before considering couples therapy.
• 68% believe it's best to start couples therapy before serious problems arise.
• Overwhelmingly, 62% expressed the belief that more openness to couples therapy would lead to better relationships.

Barriers to Therapy:

• Cost and accessibility were identified as significant barriers to couples therapy:
  • 38% of participants found couples therapy too expensive.
  • 32% faced resistance from their partners, who were unwilling to attend therapy.
  • 20% reported scheduling difficulties due to inconvenience.
  • One in three participants (approximately 33%) said finding a suitable therapist was challenging.

Benefits of Couples Therapy:

• 36% of couples who have been in couples therapy have engaged in therapy for over a year.
• 61% intend to continue therapy for up to another year.
• 67% of couples attend couples therapy sessions 2-4 times per month.

Misconceptions and Individual Therapy:

• A common misconception was that couples in therapy are likely to break up. 21% of all respondents held this belief.
• 56% believed couples therapy is only necessary for very serious relationship problems.
• Individual therapy can also have a positive impact on relationships:
  • 36% of couples in couples therapy are also engaged in individual therapy.
  • 29% participated in individual therapy before starting couples therapy.
  • 57% of couples reported that their partner's individual therapy had a positive impact on their relationship.

Conclusion:

• Despite the overwhelmingly positive feedback from couples who have participated in therapy, many couples miss out on its benefits due to cost, accessibility issues, and misconceptions.
• There is a need to address these barriers and encourage couples to consider couples therapy proactively, even before significant problems arise.

Methodology:

• The survey was conducted from January 4th to 12th, 2023.
• 1,106 US adults aged 18 and above living with their partners participated in the survey.
• The survey was conducted online through a self-administered questionnaire.