Frequently Asked Questions

Couples like you asked, we answered!

When is it too late for couples counseling?

​It is rarely too late if both partners have even a small opening of willingness to engage in this process. From an Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) perspective, reactivity or emotional withdrawal often isn’t the absence of love—it is a defensive reaction or disconnection, and there is an opportunity to repair. However, couples counseling may not be appropriate if

-One or both partners have decided they do not want to engage

-If ongoing abuse is present or

-There are unaddressed active addictions

Does couple therapy actually work, or does it just delay the inevitable?

Couple counseling is highly effective when there is a clear plan and goals for the work instead of just”venting sessions.” Research backing the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) demonstrates that structured, empirically validated approaches are effective for long-term relational repair. Therapy doesn’t merely delay a breakup; it equips couples with concrete emotional and behavioral tools to repair attachment injuries, lower conflict friction, and restore lasting intimacy.

Should we see a couple therapist together or go to individual therapy first?

​If the primary distress is the dynamic between you—such as communication breakdowns, lack of sexual arousal, or emotional distance—starting with couples therapy is generally most effective. This allows us to address the dynamic in real time with both of your perspectives. However, if individual challenges preclude our ability to do that, we may suggest individual therapy to support the joint work.

What if the couple therapist takes my partner’s side?

Reconnecting Columbus has a team of seasoned, systemic relationship therapists, so we are on the relationship’s side; as the relationship is the client. We curate our goals and objectives with the health of the relationship as our primary focus. Taking sides often happens when a therapist is conducting individual therapy with 2 people in the room. We are not judges of our clients; we help them disrupt the patterns that prevent them from getting what they need in a relationship.

What is Discernment Counseling, and how is it different from regular therapy?

Discernment Counseling (divorce decision) is not traditional couples therapy. It is a short-term, highly structured process (typically 1 to 5 sessions) designed specifically for couples where one partner is leaning out of the relationship and considering divorce, while the other partner wants to preserve it. Instead of working on fixing the marriage immediately, the sole goal of Discernment Counseling is to help the couple gain total clarity and confidence on a path forward: keeping the status quo, moving toward separation, or committing to a defined period of all-in therapy.