How Online Relationship Therapy Can Help You Reconnect and Heal (2 of 2)

5 Common Reasons Couples Therapy Fails

• Therapy Gets Weaponized

Instead of using therapy as a means of saving the relationship, one person uses it as a platform to blame, criticize, or “prove” that the relationship dysfunction is entirely the other’s fault. In this sense, it’s as if the session has transformed into a courtroom.

• Hidden Infidelity

If a secret affair isn’t revealed during therapy, the deception undermines trust, and then the opportunity for honest dialogue gets tossed out the window. Transparency is critical for effective couples work.

• Untreated Mental Health Issues

If one of the partners is suffering from severe anxiety, depression, or personality disorders, these are issues that he/she needs to address individually before agreeing to online relationship therapy. Otherwise, these mental health issues are bound to sabotage sessions.

• Domestic Abuse or Violence

Couples therapy is not appropriate when physical or psychological abuse is taking place. These situations require specialized safety planning and individualized treatment well before any relational work can begin.

• Incompatible Goals for the Relationship

If one partner is hoping to repair the relationship while the other is privately leaning toward separation or divorce, therapy often turns into a situation where they are pulling in opposite directions rather than a joint effort. Misaligned intentions prevent the couple from working as a team toward shared objectives.