Safety first
When couples therapy is not the right starting point
Couples therapy is generally not appropriate when there is active violence, coercion, or abuse in the relationship. The National Domestic Violence Hotline does not encourage anyone in an abusive relationship to seek counseling with their partner. Start with individual support and a safety plan.
In immediate danger
Call 911 if you or your partner is in immediate danger.
Thoughts of self-harm
Call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) any time if you or your partner has thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
Joint sessions can put the person being harmed at greater risk. Reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at thehotline.org. Eye Cue Mental Health is outpatient psychotherapy only. We do not prescribe and do not provide crisis or emergency services.
Side by side
Is it better to go to individual or couples therapy?
Most people asking this want to know which one to start with. Individual therapy fits when the struggle is yours: depression, anxiety, trauma, or a pattern from childhood affecting your adult relationships. Couples therapy fits when the work belongs to the relationship: recurring conflict, communication breakdown, or emotional distance neither partner can shift alone. Choose individual work first if one partner needs to stabilize before joint sessions.
Individual therapy
- Who attends
- You, one-on-one
- Focus
- Your patterns and symptoms
- The clinician
- Works for you alone
- Partner needed
- No
- Common reasons
- Anxiety, depression, trauma
- Format
- In person or video
Couples therapy
- Who attends
- Both partners together
- Focus
- The relationship
- The clinician
- Works with both of you
- Partner needed
- Both willing and engaged
- Common reasons
- Conflict, communication, trust
- Format
- In person or video
Individual psychotherapy gives you a private, one-on-one space for your own growth and self-awareness. Couples counseling puts both partners in the room with one therapist, working on what happens between you.
We see three patterns on intake calls: one person ready, both ready, or both wanting individual and couples sessions running at the same time. All three can start here.
Choosing
When individual therapy or couples therapy fits
Individual therapy fits when the work is yours
Anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, identity questions, self-esteem, life stress, and unresolved childhood experiences are the main reasons people start individual psychotherapy. One-on-one sessions give you a private space. The clinician's loyalty is to you alone.
Couples therapy fits when the work belongs to the relationship
Couples therapy targets communication breakdown, recurring arguments, infidelity, broken trust, emotional intimacy, and major life transitions. Both of you need to be present and ready to do couples work. Both willing and both engaged is the baseline.
Both fit when one partner's individual work shows up in the relationship
One partner dealing with trauma or depression often strains the couple. Individual therapy and couples counseling can run at the same time with separate therapists. Start individually if one partner isn't ready, then add couples work when both are ready.
Quick guide
Individual vs couples therapy by situation
Find the line closest to what is going on. This is a starting guide, not a diagnosis. Not sure which fits? Call and we'll help you decide.
| If this sounds like you | Where to start |
|---|---|
| Depression, anxiety, or life stress that is yours to work on | Individual therapy |
| Trauma, PTSD, or a pattern from childhood showing up in your adult relationships | Individual therapy |
| Identity questions or self-esteem | Individual therapy |
| The same fight keeps coming back without resolution | Couples therapy |
| Communication breakdown or emotional distance neither of you can shift alone | Couples therapy |
| Infidelity or broken trust you both want to work on | Couples therapy |
| A major life transition you are facing together | Couples therapy |
| One partner's depression or trauma is straining the relationship | Both, with separate therapists |
| Your partner isn't ready or won't go | Individual therapy first |
| Active violence, coercion, or abuse in the relationship | Individual support and a safety plan |
Safety comes first. If there is violence, coercion, or abuse, see when couples therapy is not the right starting point.
Coordinated care
Can you do individual and couples therapy at the same time?
Yes. Individual therapy and couples counseling can run at the same time, with separate therapists for each. Eye Cue Mental Health has offered both services in Cerritos since November 2017, and we route the couples work to a different clinician. Start individual work with one of our clinicians and add couples sessions later if it helps.
Individual work on depression or trauma can help couples sessions move forward.
Your couples therapist works with both of you together. If the same clinician also runs one partner's individual sessions, that creates a dual-role conflict and complicates confidentiality.
We coordinate care within the practice so the individual and couples spaces each stay clean.
One role per clinician
Should the same therapist do individual and couples therapy?
Usually not for the same partner. When the same therapist handles one partner's individual sessions and the couples sessions, they hold private information from one side. That dual role splits loyalty and creates confidentiality conflicts. Choose separate therapists for each role.
The standard approach is one clinician for the couple's joint work and separate therapists for each partner's individual sessions. At Eye Cue, we route the work to different clinicians so the individual and couples spaces stay clean. Check with us at intake and we'll talk through the right structure.
Call and tell us what is going on
Not sure which fits? Call and we'll help you decide between individual therapy, couples counseling, or both.
We verify your plan
Bring your insurance card. Whether your plan covers individual or couples sessions depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before your first session.
Get matched with a clinician
We match you with a clinician who has current openings. If the fit is off, we rematch you within the practice.
Add the other later if it helps
Start with one and add the other. When couples work is added to individual work, we route it to a different clinician. Treatment length follows your medical necessity, not a session count.
Why Eye Cue
Why choose Eye Cue for individual and couples therapy
Same therapist, in person or by video
Your clinician stays yours for in-person therapy at our Cerritos office or telehealth from anywhere in California. In-person sessions and online therapy run with the same therapist. Big telehealth platforms often split your care. We do not.
Both services under one roof
Eye Cue Mental Health offers individual psychotherapy and couples counseling at our Cerritos office and by telehealth. Start with one and add the other. Visit the individual therapy hub or the couples counseling page for each service in detail.
Open 7 days, 8 AM to 10 PM
Our Cerritos office is open 7 days a week, including evenings, with sessions as late as 10 PM.
Insurance accepted, including Medi-Cal
We accept Medi-Cal, Cigna, Aetna, and many others. Whether your plan covers individual or couples sessions depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before your first session.
If the clinician fit is off, we match you again
If you don't connect with your assigned clinician, we match you with another clinician on the team. You don't lose your place in the insurance process and don't start over.
Six languages spoken across our team
Our team delivers sessions in 6 languages beyond English: Spanish, Farsi, Tagalog, Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi, spoken across our team. Confirm the specific language at intake.
Coverage
Insurance for individual therapy and couples counseling
Eye Cue Mental Health accepts Medi-Cal, Medicare, Covered California, Cigna, Aetna, and many others. Whether your plan covers this depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before your first session. See the full insurance list and county details.
A plan can treat individual and couples sessions differently, so we check each one you are considering. If you are unsure about your plan, call us and we will be direct about whether we can help.
In their words
"This therapist has saved my life. Makes you feel great when you walk out of his office. Saqui will also give you tools to continue your treatment on your own time. Highly recommend him for people all ages."
Javier M.Google Review, 5 stars, Cerritos, CA
Individual results vary; this reflects one client's experience and is not a promise of outcome.
Eye Cue Mental Health at a glance: In practice since November 2017 · Sessions 7 days, 8 AM to 10 PM · In-person in Cerritos and telehealth across California
Telehealth across California
Online individual and couples therapy anywhere in California
If you live anywhere in California, you can work with an Eye Cue clinician by video from home, work, or wherever you feel settled. Individual and couples sessions both run by video. You keep the same clinician for as long as treatment runs. When it helps, you can switch to in-person sessions at our Cerritos office without changing therapists.
Statewide telehealth depends on your plan. Some Medi-Cal plans are limited to one county: L.A. Care, Carelon, and Health Net Medi-Cal to Los Angeles County, and CalOptima to Orange County. We verify your plan before your first session. See the full insurance list and county details.
In person and online
In person at our Cerritos office
We see clients in person at our Cerritos office and by telehealth across California. Whether your plan covers this depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before your first session.
Anywhere else in California by telehealth. See all locations. Eye Cue Mental Health · 17215 Studebaker Rd., Suite 110, Cerritos, CA 90703 · 562-860-2891 · Open 7 days, 8 AM to 10 PM
Related care
Other options beyond individual and couples counseling
Couples searchers often ask about sex therapy or intimacy-focused counseling. Sex therapy is a distinct clinical modality we don't offer. If that's what you need, look for an AASECT-certified sex therapist through AASECT.
We also offer family therapy when adolescents or parents are part of the picture. For individual trauma processing, a clinician on our team is trained in EMDR; see our EMDR therapy page. For all mental health services, visit our therapy services hub, or read about telehealth therapy statewide.
Good questions
Frequently asked questions about individual vs couples therapy
Still unsure? Call 562-860-2891 and we will talk it through, no commitment.
Individual work first is often the right call when one partner needs to stabilize before joint sessions. Couples therapy fits when both partners are willing and the work belongs to the relationship: communication, conflict, emotional distance, or major life transitions. Many people benefit from both at the same time, with separate clinicians for each.
Usually not for the same partner. When the same therapist handles one partner's individual sessions and the couples sessions, they hold private information that splits their loyalty and complicates confidentiality. At Eye Cue, we route individual and couples work to different clinicians on the team so each space stays clean.
Start individual therapy first. One partner beginning individual work can change the dynamic, and some partners become willing later. Individual psychotherapy at Eye Cue gives you tools to use between sessions on your own time. Call us to get matched; if your partner becomes ready, we can discuss adding couples work.
Usually no. Individual therapy that helps you regulate and process old patterns usually benefits the relationship. It can create friction in two situations. One: a partner uses individual sessions to plan an exit without the other's knowledge (a transparency issue). Two: active domestic violence is in the dynamic and the individual therapist's role involves a safety assessment the other partner isn't aware of.
Yes, Medi-Cal is one of several plans we hold contracts with. Whether your specific plan covers individual or couples sessions depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before you start. Call 562-860-2891 with your insurance card and we'll check together before your first appointment.
Yes. We offer both services and can coordinate care within our practice. Start individual with one of our clinicians, then decide to add couples sessions. We route the couples work to a different clinician on the team. Call us to talk through what makes sense for your situation.
We match you with a clinician who has current openings. Call 562-860-2891 to ask about next available appointment times. We don't publish a specific wait-time number because it changes week to week, but we'll be direct about how quickly we can get you in.
Couples therapy is generally not appropriate when there is active violence, coercion, or abuse in the relationship. Joint sessions can put the person being harmed at greater risk. Start with individual support and a safety plan. Call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) any time, or visit thehotline.org for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Get started
Start individual or couples therapy in Cerritos
Eye Cue Mental Health has offered individual therapy and couples counseling in Cerritos, CA since November 2017. Not sure which type fits? Call 562-860-2891 and we'll talk it through. In-person at 17215 Studebaker Rd. or telehealth across California.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) any time.
- 562-860-2891
- 17215 Studebaker Rd., Suite #110, Cerritos, CA 90703
- Open 7 days a week, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM