What is the success rate of couples therapy?

We often get that question in practice. Logical really, because you would like to know if there is any point in working on your relationship with a therapist. Therapy costs time, money and also energy.

Research on the success rate of couples therapy is still developing. Nevertheless, research in this area shows positive results. According to research at the University of California, 75% of couples surveyed benefited from therapy. Other studies, from Australia and Germany for example, also show similar results. Read more about research on the effect of couples therapy in this recent article from NEMO Kennislink.

Insights and therapy have improved

Going back thirty years, we see that the success rate was less favorable then. About 50% of couples in therapy benefited. Fortunately, in recent years much relevant knowledge has emerged and therapies have improved. For example, there are new insights about the relationship between partners and new methods to improve relationships. Such as Emotionally Focussed Therapy (EFT), which our therapists also work with. Researcher Henk Jan Conradi found positive effects of EFT in the Netherlands in recent years, reads in ‘A new beginning? On the effectiveness of couples therapy‘ from NEMO Kennislink.

In practice

How do we see the effect of couples therapy in Practice Love? Through couples therapy, couples learn to understand each other better. They learn about each other’s internal processes and the other person’s emotional life. Where are your partner’s pain points? How does the other person have a pleasant and enjoyable time? We see that couples therapy is effective because partners get to know each other better on another level.

The prerequisite is that couples really open up during therapy and also dare to be vulnerable. Because both partners must move in this process. When one of the partners starts from the idea “help us, but don’t help me,” a good result becomes difficult. So for finding a loving solution, reciprocity is a must.

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