Starting Counseling
Couples Counseling or Individual Therapy: Where to Start
When the trouble lives in your relationship, it can be hard to know whether to start together or on your own. McNeer Group offers both couples counseling and individual therapy, so the real question is which starting point fits what is happening right now. Here is a plain way to think it through.
October 7, 2026/4 min read/McNeer Group
When couples counseling fits
Couples counseling fits when the problem lives between the two of you and you are both willing to come. You may be stuck in the same argument, one of you may have stopped bringing things up, or work, children and logistics may have crowded out the marriage. If the pattern shows up mostly at home, with each other, working on it together is often the most direct route.
You do the work together, either in the office or by video, joining from the same room or from two different places. We name the loop you get caught in and build practical skills, such as raising a hard subject, hearing it without going on defense and repairing quickly when things go sideways.
When individual therapy fits
Individual therapy starts with what is actually happening in your life and pairs honest feedback with cognitive behavioral tools to use between sessions. It may be the better place to start when:
- The same pattern keeps showing up in your relationships, not only this one.
- Something has changed in your own life, such as a job, a move, a loss or a child leaving home.
- You are holding a great deal together and want practical help with your side of it.
- Your partner is not ready for counseling, and you would rather not put your own work on hold.
Who you would work with
Kathryn McNeer, LPC, sees couples and individuals, and her listed specialties include individual counseling for relationship concerns. Both of our counselors see individuals, so starting on your own does not mean starting somewhere else. You work with one of two licensed counselors, in person on Cole Avenue or online anywhere in Texas.
Questions to ask yourself
If you are still unsure, a few honest questions can help sort it out:
- Where does the problem show up: mostly with your partner, or in other relationships too?
- Is your partner willing to come, even with some hesitation?
- Has something changed in your own life that you want room to sort through?
- Do you want help with how the two of you talk, or with how you handle your own side?
- Would you speak more freely with your partner in the room, or without?
What sessions look like either way
Sessions are 50 minutes, weekly to start, then spaced out as things steady. You meet in our Cole Avenue office in Dallas or by secure video from anywhere in Texas. Either way, you usually leave with something specific to try before the next session, and every few sessions you step back with your counselor to check whether the focus still fits.
You can ask about fit when you write
You do not need to settle the question before reaching out. When you send a short note, say briefly what is going on and that you are unsure which option fits. No clinical detail is needed. We reply to confirm fit, answer your questions about fees and scheduling, and offer times in the office or online.
Questions
Common questions
What if the problem feels like it is mostly mine?
Then individual therapy may be the more direct place to start, especially if the same reaction shows up with coworkers, friends or family as well as at home. If it mostly plays out with your partner, working on it together can still make sense, because the other person is part of the loop.
Does starting alone mean giving up on couples counseling?
No. Where you start is a starting point, not a verdict on the relationship. Individual work is a place to understand your side of the pattern and practice handling it differently. Couples counseling remains an option if you and your partner both become willing.
What if we both want counseling but for different reasons?
That is a reasonable place to begin couples counseling. In the first session, each of you says, out loud and in front of the other, what brought you in and what you want to be different. You leave with a plain read on the pattern you share and a sense of what to focus on next.
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Working With Us
Counseling for couples in Dallas
If this sounds like your marriage, send a short note and we will reply with availability, or call the office at (214) 980-0915.
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