That's a good question.

My goal in going to therapy was to save my marriage. That most decidedly didn't happen.

What happened instead is that I was given a lot of time and space to recognize and understand abusive dynamics and rebuild my life into something healthier. Things are better. My family is healthier. My friendships have deepened. I've recovered my sense of my self. So in that sense it has "worked," even though my stated goal wasn't met.