Why do couples seek relationship help online? Description and comparison to in‐person interventions
Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
Published online on April 02, 2018
Abstract
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Couples are increasingly utilizing newly developed online adaptations of couple therapy; however, different presenting problems could drive couples to seek either online or in‐person services. This study compared the presenting problems of 151 couples seeking an online couple intervention for relationship distress (OurRelationship) with responses from 147 couples seeking in‐person couple therapy. Presenting problems were generally consistent across gender and whether or not the respondent was the initial help‐seeker. Online and in‐person samples frequently endorsed difficulties with communication and emotional intimacy; however, they differentially endorsed trust, time together, and child/parenting difficulties. Therefore, while basing online interventions on existing couple therapies is generally supported, efforts should be made to tailor online services to meet the unique needs of this population.
- Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, EarlyView.