Parallel Therapy
Sometimes, the people we care about most are also connected to the challenges we’re facing in therapy. Parallel therapy is an optional service we offer when two or more people in significant relationships to recieve individual therapy at our center and specifically choose to authorize their therapists to coordinate care. With consent, we collaborate to support healthier communication, reduce relational confusion, and help each client grow in aligned, but separate, therapeutic spaces.
What is Parallel Therapy?
Parallel therapy is not couples or family therapy. It’s individual therapy for two people who are in a close relationship, where the therapists communicate—with permission—to ensure their approaches are consistent and complementary. This approach allows each person to have their own private space for healing while still working toward shared goals like improving trust, setting boundaries, parenting more effectively, or navigating grief or conflict.
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We recommend parallel therapy most often for situations like:
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Two family members (such as a parent and adult child) are working to rebuild trust after estrangement, trauma, or years of miscommunication.
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Partners want to improve their relationship while each doing individual work on trauma, identity, or mental health that affects how they relate to each other.
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Co-parents who are no longer together want to align on parenting approaches without being in the same therapy space.
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An adopted person and an adoptive or first family member want to explore connection, repair, or clarity around their roles in a complex relationship.
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Siblings or adult children are processing a shared family history, such as parental abuse, neglect, or loss, and want to address it individually with collaborative support.
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Two people with ongoing conflict or codependent patterns are seeking clarity and change while working separately on their own healing.
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One person is navigating trauma and the other is trying to be supportive, but both need guidance, boundaries, and coordinated care.
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A caregiver and the person they care for both need therapeutic space to process emotional dynamics while improving communication and mutual respect.
Parallel therapy is rooted in respect for privacy, safety, and autonomy. Your story remains your own. We only collaborate in ways that support your treatment, honor your boundaries, and uphold the integrity of both therapeutic relationships. At TCTG, this model reflects our belief that healing is deeply relational—but that doesn’t mean you have to share your therapy space to work toward better relationships.
How Parallel Therapy Works
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Each person has their own therapist and engages in separate, individual therapy
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Therapists communicate only with written consent from both clients
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Communication is structured and limited to information that is relevant, helpful, and agreed upon in advance
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Your therapist will not share personal disclosures, trauma history, or sensitive material unless you explicitly authorize it
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You may modify or revoke your consent to therapist communication at any time
We draw from a variety of modalities including:
Why Choose Parallel Therapy?
Parallel therapy may be right for you if:
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You and a loved one are each in therapy, but want to make sure you’re not working at cross-purposes
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You’re co-parenting, navigating adoption openness, or rebuilding a strained relationship and want aligned support
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You want to work on yourself but also care deeply about preserving or transforming a specific relationship
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You value your privacy, but also see the benefit of coordinated support from your therapists
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​Reach out to learn more or schedule a consultation. We can help you and your loved one explore whether parallel therapy is the right fit, and match each of you with a therapist aligned with your needs and goals.