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Individual sessions can help couples therapists better understand each partner and support treatment progress.

Individual sessions may also occur to explore symptoms, build skills, or prepare for difficult conversations.

No-secrets policies address how therapists handle information that directly impacts couples treatment.

Therapists must balance individual privacy with the safety, ethics, and integrity of couples therapy.

Couples therapy usually involves partners meeting conjointly with a therapist, in person or via telehealth, to discuss relationship concerns. But individual appointments with the couples therapist can also be part of effective relational treatment. These meetings can help therapists better understand relationship dynamics, address barriers to progress, and support each partner’s therapeutic work.

They also raise an important question: What happens when a client shares personal information during an individual session they have not yet shared with their partner?

Reasons for Individual Sessions During Couples Therapy

For many couples therapists, individual appointments are part of a structured intake process. One example is the 4-session evaluation model, which includes an initial conjoint session, followed by individual sessions with each partner, and concludes with a conjoint session focused on feedback and treatment planning.

Individual intakes can build client-therapist rapport and allow clients to speak more openly........

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