Your Future Partner Wants Therapy: Here’s Why It’s Essential for Your Relationship!

May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, an annual initiative aimed at destigmatizing and raising awareness about mental health issues. This campaign encourages individuals to openly discuss their mental health challenges and seek assistance when needed.

It’s evident that therapy has a beneficial impact on personal relationships. Indeed, a growing number of people today consider undergoing therapy as essential before entering a relationship. This means that some individuals are hesitant to date someone who hasn’t consulted a mental health professional.

Viewing Therapy as a Positive Sign in Relationships

Statistics reveal significant trends. Data from a survey conducted by the dating app Hily show that among women, 26% of Gen Z and 34% of Millennials consider it important that their prospective partners have received or are receiving therapy. Conversely, men seem slightly less concerned, with only 15% of Gen Z and 25% of Millennial men considering it a critical factor.

Moreover, a notable portion of the population won’t even consider dating someone who hasn’t been in therapy: 23% of young women and 16% of men express this view.

The numerous advantages of discussing mental health with a professional explain why therapy can be so beneficial in a romantic context. Individuals in therapy often gain deeper self-understanding, recognize their strengths and weaknesses, learn emotional regulation, and discover how to sustain healthy relationships with others.

Accordingly, 53% of women and nearly 40% of men believe that forming a healthy relationship is easier with someone who has been or is in therapy. Additionally, 45% of Gen Z and 55% of Millennial women, along with 32% of Gen Z and 43% of Millennial men, find those who attend therapy more romantically attractive, likely due to the reasons mentioned above.

Reducing the Stigma Around Therapy in Dating

It’s clear that for many daters today, therapy is not the deterrent it might have been in the past. Previously, undergoing therapy was often seen as a red flag, and many individuals felt compelled to conceal their therapy sessions, embarrassed and believing it indicated a personal flaw.

However, the negative perception of therapy is on the decline, with 86% of young Americans now comfortable dating someone who has undergone therapy.

Still, judgment persists among some dating circles. Indeed, 27% of young women and 20% of men have felt judged by a date for their therapy sessions. Whether this judgment was real or perceived varies, as many have grown up amidst a strong anti-therapy stigma.

With a reported 59.2 million adults in the U.S. having received mental health treatment or therapy in 2023, it is hopeful that this stigma will continue to diminish as more people experience the benefits of such services.

Personally, therapy has been a cornerstone of my life. I began therapy at the age of six after being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Without ongoing therapy, I doubt I could have completed college, succeeded professionally, pursued my dreams, lived independently, or experienced healthy romantic relationships.

If someone judges you for seeking mental health support, they likely aren’t the right match for you. Indeed, for 55% of young women and 35% of men, a judgmental attitude towards therapy is a definite dealbreaker. And rightfully so.