Individual therapy for relationship issues is a form of psychotherapy where a person works one-on-one with a licensed mental health professional to explore and resolve difficulties that affect their personal relationships. While couples therapy involves both partners, individual therapy focuses solely on the person seeking help — their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and behavioral patterns.
Why choose individual therapy for relationship issues?
Many people seek individual therapy when they are:
- Feeling overwhelmed in a relationship
- Experiencing repeated conflict with a partner
- Struggling with communication or emotional closeness
- Recovering from a breakup, betrayal, or infidelity
- Unsure whether to stay in or leave a relationship
- Wanting to break patterns from past relationships
Working with a therapist can help individuals:
- Understand how past experiences influence current relationship behavior
- Recognize and shift unhelpful patterns, such as avoidance or codependency
- Strengthen emotional regulation and conflict resolution skills
- Develop healthy boundaries and assertiveness
- Clarify values, expectations, and goals in relationships
What does a typical session look like?
Sessions are private and tailored to the individual’s needs. A therapist may use approaches such as:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify and change negative thinking patterns
- Attachment-based therapy to address childhood experiences that shape relationship behavior
- Mindfulness and emotion-focused techniques to enhance self-awareness and emotional control
Over time, individual therapy can lead to better self-understanding, improved relationship skills, and more fulfilling personal connections — even if your partner doesn’t attend therapy with you.