Couples therapy prevents divorce.

Is it true that couples therapy prevents divorce?

Partly. The retrieved items only partially address the claim: a meta-analytic review reports that many distressed couples benefit from couple therapy, while other sources note counseling can also involve ending relationships and that some treated couples still divorced. None establishes that couples therapy prevents divorce as a general matter.

Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 3 sources for, 2 against · Last checked 17 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Fitzgerald, J. (2017). Foundations for Couples' Therapy. play.google.com. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=utENDgAAQBAJ&source=gbs_api

Catherine, C. (1998). When Couples Divorce: Issues for Counselors.. eric.ed.gov. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED415477

Berger, R. & Hannah, M. T. (2013). Preventive Approaches in Couples Therapy. play.google.com. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=yUQuWgz17ZAC&source=gbs_api

Bradbury, T. N. & Bodenmann, G. (2020). Interventions for Couples.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-071519-020546

K., S. D. & Others, A. (1991). Long-Term Effectiveness of Behavioral versus Insight-Oriented Marital Therapy: A 4-Year Follow-Up Study.. eric.ed.gov. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ426776