Therapy-Adjacent: When Your Partner Thinks They’re a Couples Therapist (Without Actually Going to Therapy)

Here’s the scene: You’re sitting down for dinner, and out of nowhere, your partner says, “I think we should revisit that unresolved emotional issue from last week after we’ve both processed it.”

Sound a little familiar?

If your partner has spent their weekend binging self-help podcasts, reading relationship books, and sprinkling therapy terms into everyday conversation, congratulations—you’re in a therapy-adjacent relationship.

In this post, we’ll explore what it means to be therapy-adjacent, why armchair therapy isn’t quite the same as actual therapy, and dive into the science behind why self-help can sometimes miss the mark.