Who Attends Couples Counseling in the UK and Why?

Abstract

In England, publicly funded couples therapy is reserved for couples where one or both partners present with psychological disorders, rather than relationship distress, despite evidence of a bidirectional relationship between the two. Demographics and presenting issues for 14,726 couples who received counseling through a third-sector counseling organization in England and Wales were investigated. Clients were often White, aged 25–54, and presented with interpersonal issues. “Mental health problems” were identified as an issue by about a quarter of all clients. This suggests that many couples seeking relationship counseling wish to address relational versus psychological distress, which has implications for publicly funded services.