Couples are increasingly utilizing newly developed online adaptations of couple therapy; however, different presenting problems could drive couples to seek either online or in-person services. This study compared the presenting problems of 151 couples seeking an online couple intervention for relationship distress (OurRelationship) with responses from 147 couples seeking in-person couple therapy. Presenting problems were generally consistent across gender and whether or not the respondent was the initial help-seeker. Online and in-person samples frequently endorsed difficulties with communication and emotional intimacy; however, they differentially endorsed trust, time together, and child/parenting difficulties. Therefore, while basing online interventions on existing couple therapies is generally supported, efforts should be made to tailor online services to meet the unique needs of this population.
© 2018 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.