Couples Therapy vs. Individual Support: Which Is Right for Your Relationship?
When relationship challenges start to build, many partners wonder, should we go to couples therapy together, or would it be better to begin with individual sessions? Both approaches can bring meaningful change, but they serve different purposes depending on what’s really going on beneath the surface.
What Couples Therapy Focuses On
In couples therapy, the focus shifts to the relationship itself. The therapist works with both partners to identify recurring patterns that fuel disconnection or misunderstanding. Rather than deciding who’s “right” or “wrong,” therapy explores how partners communicate, respond emotionally, and manage conflict together.
Couples therapy supports partners to:
• Recognize recurring conflict cycles and emotional triggers
• Improve communication and empathy
• Rebuild trust and intimacy after distance or hurt
• Learn new tools to manage disagreements safely
When both partners are willing to engage, couples therapy can rebuild emotional safety and strengthen the bond that brought them together in the first place.
When Individual Therapy Can Help
Sometimes, relationship struggles are rooted in personal pain or unresolved experiences that one partner needs to process individually. In individual therapy, clients can safely explore emotions, attachment patterns, or past trauma that may be shaping how they show up in the relationship.
Individual therapy helps with:
• Unpacking personal triggers and attachment styles
• Understanding your emotional needs and communication habits
• Healing from past trauma or loss
• Building boundaries and self-awareness
For some, individual therapy becomes the first step toward being more open and emotionally present in the relationship. For others, it’s a space to clarify what they truly want and need from a partnership.
How to Choose the Right Approach
The right form of therapy depends on where you and your partner are emotionally.
You might choose couples therapy if:
Both partners are committed to working on the relationship together
You want to strengthen communication, rebuild trust, or reconnect emotionally
You might start with individual therapy if:
One partner isn’t ready for joint sessions
You’re processing personal trauma, stress, or emotional overwhelm
You need time to explore your own patterns before couples work
In many cases, both can work hand in hand: individual therapy for self-understanding, and couples therapy for rebuilding connection.
Healing Together and Individually
Every relationship is made up of two emotional worlds that constantly interact. When one person heals, the relationship grows stronger. Couples therapy and individual support aren’t opposing paths, they work hand in hand toward the same goal: a partnership rooted in trust, empathy, and emotional understanding.
Looking for Support with Relationship Challenges?
Whether you’re considering couples therapy or want to begin with individual sessions, our therapist, Alysha Plaggemeier, at Healing Voices Psychotherapy can help you explore what’s best for your situation. We offer compassionate, evidence-based therapy to help you and your partner reconnect, communicate, and heal virtually across Ontario. Contact us to book a free 15-minute consultation today.
