Does Couples Counseling Really Work?

Every year, thousands of couples begin seeing a counselor with hopes that the therapy process will help them to improve and strengthen their relationships. But is there any evidence that couples counseling works? Actually, there is…

According to a national survey of marriage and family counselors and their clients, a couple’s motivation for improvement may be the single most important factor in determining counseling success. In a research study published by the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, it was found that client satisfaction and relationship improvement is often high with individuals in couples counseling.

Specifically, of clients from 526 couples counselors in 15 states:[i]

  • 98.1% rated services as good or excellent
  • 97.1% received the type of help they desired
  • 91.2% were satisfied with the amount of help they received
  • 93% said they were helped to deal more effectively with problems
  • 94.3% would return to the same therapist in the future
  • 96.9% would recommend their therapist to a friend
  • 97.4% were satisfied with the service they received
  • 63.4% reported improved physical health
  • 54.8% reported improvement in functioning at work
  • 73.7% reported improvement in their children’s behavior
  • 58.7% reported improvement in their children’s school performance

Looking to find a couples counselor in your area? Call us anytime at 1-855-4-THRIVE.

[i] Excerpted from “Clinical Practice Patterns of Marriage and Family Therapists: A National Survey of Therapists and Their Clients”, Journal of Marital and Family Therapy–Volume 22, No. 1

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Anthony Centore

Anthony Centore

Anthony Centore Ph.D. is Founder and CEO at Thriveworks--a counseling practice, focused on premium client care, with 80+ locations across the USA. He is Private Practice Consultant for the American Counseling Association, columnist for Counseling Today magazine, and Author of How to Thrive in Counseling Private Practice. Anthony is a multistate Licensed Professional Counselor and has been quoted in national media sources including The Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, and CBS Sunday Morning.

Check out “Leaving Depression Behind: An Interactive, Choose Your Path Book” written by AJ Centore and Taylor Bennett."