Best Sites for Online Couples Counseling
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- John S. - Editor in Chief
- June 20, 2023
We live in an age where technology is continually finding applications in intimate spaces, and online couples counseling is no exception. Online relationship therapy features aspects similar to traditional online couples counseling, namely a sounding board for relationship issues and the trusted expertise of a licensed therapist.
However, among the draws to the online couples’ therapy model are convenience and affordability relative to office therapy sessions.
How We Calculate Score
Our rating system assigns brand scores on a scale of up to 5. To arrive at these scores, we use a weighted formula that considers TrustPilot ratings, User Engagement scores, and our staff’s experience with the platforms.
BetterHelp
Ratings-
Easy to Use
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Personalized Service
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Confidential
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Text, Video or voice session
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Licensed therapists
ReGain
Ratings-
Mobile and user-friendly platform
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Affordable
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24/7
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You can change counselors
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You can include your partner for free
Online-therapy.com
Ratings-
Unlimited messaging
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8 section CBT program, incl. 25 worksheets
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Daily worksheet replies Mon-Fri
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Change therapists with one click
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Secure & confidential platform
TalkSpace
Ratings-
Convenience
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Personal
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24/7
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Confidential
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Text, Video or voice session
What Is Online Couples Therapy?
As couples go about their daily lives, both together and as individuals, they experience stressful situations that impact the quality of their relationship. These issues can range from family in-fighting, difficulties in parenting, fears of infidelity, financial troubles, and more.
Online couples counseling provides confidential couples’ therapy in a convenient, web-based format.
Real-time sessions with experienced and professional counselors are delivered through a variety of digital mediums, including phone calls, face-to-face video chat, and live chat, and many have their own corresponding mobile apps.
Who Are Online Couples Therapy For?
Online therapy for couples is for couples of any stage, from dating to marriage, who have identified that their relationship contains serious issues, yet have a desire to address these relationship issues and restore their mutual peace and harmony.
When Is The Right Time to Start with Couples Therapy?
Therapy for couples, regardless of whether delivered through an online platform or in a licensed therapist’s office, is much like preventive medicine for couples.
It should be seen not as a means of crisis mitigation, but more so as a way to educate couples in creating healthy conflict resolution habits. Couples’ therapy should begin as soon as a couple feels an overwhelming disconnect in their relationship.
Addressing the root causes of relationship issues faced by couples sooner than later is the best way to ensure that these issues are met headfirst and are not allowed to spiral into larger, more complex issues.
Benefits of Couples Therapy
Accessibility and Convenience
With numerous providers now inhabiting the digital mental health space, those seeking online therapy for couples have more options than ever before when it comes to selecting a service and only need a stable internet connection to get started.
Couples can choose a therapy service provider based on criteria that matter to them, such as scheduling availability, types of relationship issues served, format of sessions, and program cost.
Many providers offer scheduling 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and are committed to accommodating all patient availabilities.
Since the online conference call format removes the need for both couples to physically meet at a designated location, even couples in long-distance relationships can seek the help of a licensed therapist provided that they are able to agree to a virtual meeting time.
Additionally, since many online providers document all sessions on a centralized medium such as an app or a website, couples in therapy can conveniently review at their leisure the progress they have made while working with their selected counselor, along with the recommendations provided to them.
Affordability of Couples Therapy
Conventional therapy sessions cost more than the numbers on the therapist’s invoice; unstated are the time and monetary costs of planning a time to meet and physically commuting as a couple to the therapist’s office.
Even in the event that a couple is lucky enough to have health insurance, they still may be required to engage in a form of cost sharing with their insurer, including but not limited to co-pay.
On the provider end, online therapy service providers incur far fewer overhead costs than traditional office-based therapists and are thus able to price their services fairly and competitively. Similar to their patients, many therapists who work for online provider networks even work from their own home offices.
It is for this reason that online sessions have become a far more attractive economical option for couples’ therapy; even without insurance, the plans and services offered by online providers often come at a fraction of expected cost and can be incorporated with ease into the couple’s existing budget.
Comfort
Talking about personal matters is already highly stressful for any couple in distress, and some individuals with existing mental health issues may not feel totally comfortable being emotionally open with a complete stranger in the unfamiliar, sterile setting of a doctor’s office.
Even though the climate toward mental health care has taken a positive turn in contemporary times, there is still a prevailing stigma regarding therapy that can cross into sensitive cultural lines.
Online therapy for couples provides a way for professional counselors and couples to connect from the comfort and privacy of the couples’ home.
The selection of available formats for therapy allow the couple to choose a method that works for their communication and personality style; for instance, a couple that requires more time to mull over heavier and more intense topics may choose a provider with unlimited text messaging option over face to face video conferencing if they need the space needed to reflect before responding to their counselor.
Messages
Phone calls
Video Chats
Online vs. In-Person Couples Therapy
With options to suit all schedules, communication preferences, and budgets, online therapy for couples affords couples greater freedom of choice in seeking a therapy service that accommodates all their needs.
It is a great option for couples who work during standard business hours and would be forced to schedule sessions after work or during the weekend, couples who otherwise have reservations about seeking therapy, or for couples who otherwise would not have access to therapy services.
Couples are able to exert full control over each step of the process, from platform to method of delivery to the payment plan.
In-person couples’ counseling, on the other hand, is much more structured and involves the couple coordinating time at a licensed therapist’s office. Although virtual interfacing is a viable and convenient alternative that research studies still prove to be efficacious, it cannot replicate bodily cues, such as body language and tone, that can be incredibly useful in analyzing the dynamic between a couple.
How Does Online Couples Counseling Work?
The online counseling for couples process starts for some with a query-led approach whereby a couple submits a statement of their relationship issues to the provider. The provider then works on the back end to match the couple with a trusted counselor with whom they schedule their initial intake appointment.
An initial intake session between the licensed therapist and the couple marks the first point of contact in the online counseling for couples process. The session takes place via phone calls, face to face video chat, or live chat, depending on the provider.
It is a two-sided assessment of counselor and patient and marks their first opportunity to build an online relationship. The counselor assigned to the couple is given the chance to assess the couple as individuals, listen to the issues that have resulted in the need for professional help, and make notes on their dynamics with each other.
The couple also is able to take their own inventory of their appointed mental health specialist to determine if he or she is a good fit for their style and their needs.
Once that modicum of trust, comfort, and compatibility has been reached, the couples’ counseling sessions begin. Depending on the issues at hand and the couple’s goals in seeking therapy, counseling sessions can last anywhere from a few sessions to a working relationship with the counselor that spans months or even years.
How to Choose the Best Online Therapist for a Couples Therapy Session?
Choosing an online counselor is a personal matter that requires careful thought and consideration on the part of the couple.
Credibility
The credibility of an online licensed therapist goes beyond the provider’s educational credentials.
Couples are encouraged to select a professional counselor who not only has credentials that are on par with the industry standard but also specializes in online therapy for specific issues that the couple actively faces, such as communication troubles and loss of sexual desire.
The chosen licensed professional should possess a proven track record in working with similar clients and issues.
Pay close attention to the professional member organizations of which the therapist is a member; these designations often reflect the disciplines in which the therapist has chosen to further their education and in turn show a vested interest in the discipline.
Research Your Therapist
Your online therapist is an individual whom you and your partner are entrusting to help with some of the most intimate details of your lives as a couple.
Ensure that you are all a good personality fit for each other by researching aspects of their online presence that help build the story of an individual, such as online pages and blog posts. If using a platform that matches the back end, feel free to ask the support agent for their opinion on whether the counselor is a good fit.
Format of Couples Therapy Sessions
Do you as a couple feel that face-to-face video conferencing is the most effective way to communicate your relationship issues with a trusted licensed therapist? Would you or your partner feel more comfortable utilizing a messaging platform that allows better control of the pace of interactions with your counselor?
Consider your preferred communication style, along with your partner’s, and balance these against the provider’s available options and platforms.
Payment Options
Although many online therapy services for couples already offer competitive pricing, some networks are still able to take insurance. Take stock of your current insurance and determine whether you will be able to use insurance to cover some or all of the costs of couples’ therapy.
If coverage through insurance is not an option, ensure that you understand the payment plans available and factor these into your final decision.
Word of Mouth
Even in a digital age, there is still tremendous value in leveraging an existing network of friends and family to ask whether these trusted individuals can recommend options that have worked for them.
Online Couples Counseling FAQ
Couples that have been together for a long time, have a tendency to fall into certain patterns, often without even recognizing it. Having a third party that is objective might help you comprehend what is going on in your relationship.
Couples therapists have worked with hundreds of different couples, each one unique but often facing some startlingly similar issues. This provides them insight and wisdom that no buddy, who knows only a few connections, can match.
If you want to improve your relationship, we recommend committing to at least six months of weekly sessions. Healing may take longer if your disagreements are long-standing and your scars are severe.
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Currently residing in Arizona, John shares his home with two beloved pets - a very cute dog and a cat. Although they don't always see eye-to-eye, John's furry companions bring him joy and inspiration, serving as a constant reminder of the importance of cultivating meaningful relationships.
With a keen eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to quality, John is a true asset to the counselingreviews.com team. Whether he's writing about the latest research on mental health or offering practical advice for managing stress, John's expertise and insight are always in high demand.
If you're looking for well-researched and informative content that can help you improve your mental and emotional well-being, be sure to check out John's articles on counselingreviews.com. His writing is sure to provide you with the guidance and inspiration you need to overcome life's challenges and achieve your goals.
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