Couples counseling is one of the best options we have available for improving a relationship. It is based on sound science, with approaches that we know can help with communication, intimacy, stress reduction, and more.
But we also know that it’s not always easy to get *both* partners to agree to couples counseling, and you need both partners’ active participation and engagement for the therapeutic interventions to work. What options are available if one partner is ready for couples counseling but the other partner is not?
Individual Relationship Therapy and Individual Counseling
It would be useful if both partners were on board for couples counseling. But if one is hesitant or unavailable, there are alternative and additional solutions that can still be quite effective for you on your own. These include:
- Individual Relationship Therapy – There are programs that exist that are specifically for individuals that want to enhance their relationships. Therapy can be used to reduce or improve dependency, address concerns about intimacy, and enhance your ability to give and receive love. These are all strategies that can be addressed on an individua level.
- Trauma Counseling – Many people’s relationships are affected by past traumas, and addressing those traumas is one way that we can enhance a relationship. Sometimes, what is most needed for a couple to thrive is for a partner to come to terms with issues they’ve had with parents, ex partners, and others in their past.
- Other Individual Therapy – Anxiety, depression, work stress, and more can all affect the health of the relationship. These are also uniquely personal issues, and working through them with a professional therapist is a great way to make sure that you’re on a path towards better overall wellness.
In addition, while couples counseling is highly effective for some couples, others just need someone they can talk to about their relationship. There are times when you want someone you can talk to about your partner freely in order to work through the challenges that you are facing, in which case individual therapy can be a better choice.
Many others also use both – a couples counselor to help the relationship, and an individual therapist to assist with secondary issues. There is no wrong way to receive therapy, and many of options available even in situations where one partner is unwilling or where couples counseling alone is not the only solution.
Start Today with Right Path Counseling
Right Path Counseling is a Long Island therapist private practice with a full team of counselors that work with couples regularly to support your relationship and your ongoing mental health. If your relationship is struggling and you’d like to speak with a therapist for any reason, please reach out today. We can talk about couples counseling, or provide alternative solutions if one partner is not engaged. Call today to learn more.
