How To Find A Marriage Counselor And Work Through Relationship Problems

Updated April 4, 2024by MyTherapist Editorial Team

If you and your spouse have been having issues lately, you may find yourself wondering if it's time for some marriage counseling. Needing marital help is nothing to be ashamed of. Many couples suffer silently for years behind closed doors for fear of facing what "people will think."

Everyone has marital issues from time to time. Having disagreements is a normal part of any relationship. The most important thing is to find the resolution that works best for your marriage.

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Marriage counseling has helped many relationships

You may be surprised to hear that every disagreement that you and your spouse have provides an opportunity for each one of you to grow. That is if you're willing to do the work. Sometimes, you need professional help to do the work. Going through marriage counseling isn't an easy fix or a one-stop solution for marital discord. For marriage counseling to be effective, you have to be committed to your marriage and stick with the process from start to finish.

This article provides information on many of the marriage counseling options available to you and your partner.

Marriage counseling, free or otherwise 

When you search online for marriage counseling options, what you're likely to find is a listing of local resources in your area like churches, schools, professional organizations, and neighborhood organizations. You may also get a listing for local and national hotlines that provide marriage counseling resources over the phone. Some even offer online couples counseling. You'll have to do some legwork to find out which of these resources may be free.

You may be able to find a free marriage counselor by using therapist listing sites like mytherapist.com. Free counseling services may be able to help struggling couples learn better-coping skills.

Online counseling sites like 7 Cups provide unbiased advice and information on therapy resources for more serious or ongoing issues. If your marriage has been having more serious issues than usual or you feel like your marriage may be in danger of a painful breakup or divorce, therapeutic counseling with a licensed therapist may be a better option for you to take than using free therapy options.

That internet search you did will also have called up many options for paid counseling services. Your insurance company will also have listings for therapists. You will want to make sure to do your research to find a provider that will work best for your situation.

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Common issues that couples discuss in marriage counseling 

Financial issues

Couples who have trouble seeing eye-to-eye on financial issues may find themselves seeking counseling. Financial issues are a common problem for many married couples. This can be especially true when one spouse has a gambling or related issue causing the family financial harm, such as unpaid bills, evictions, or foreclosures.

Emotional issues

One spouse or the other may have emotional issues related to mental health or require emotional support for another reason that hasn't been expressed. A marriage counselor can help couples identify issues they may not have seen or their own.

Extended family

We've all heard the dreaded mother-in-law stories. Some couple's issues with in-laws and extended family may have gotten out of hand and are now threatening the marriage. When extended family issues start to affect the marriage, couples may benefit from professional third-party advice.

Raising children

Conflicts of interest in raising children and blended families are often hot topics of discussion in marriage counseling sessions; when couples go to counseling, they learn to work together, rather than against each other, when it comes to raising kids.

Career 

Issues like new job offers or career changes don't always go over well when they affect the entire family. Many couples experience turmoil when unexpected career changes like job transfers, lay-offs, or starting a new job start to take their toll on a marriage.

It's important to note that all of the issues above are a normal part of life that affect many American families. If you felt like you and your family were the only ones having these kinds of challenges, you can breathe a sigh of relief. You're not alone. There is help in the form of family counseling and marriage counseling. The only thing you have to do is commit to finishing the process—and then get started.

How to get started with marriage counseling online

Online therapy has helped many couples work through their problems. Sometimes, it's difficult to get to a physical office for a session—and when you're dealing with more than one schedule, timing can be tricky. Online therapy eliminates both of these issues.

Getting started with marriage counseling online is easy. The first thing you need to do is find a leading therapy provider like  or Regain—which specializes in providing marriage, family, and relationship therapy. The therapists on both of these platforms are licensed providers licensed to practice within their state of residence. What this means is that when it's time to choose a provider, you'll be given a pool of therapists to choose from that are licensed to practice in your state.

Once you've selected your provider, you and your spouse will decide on a therapy plan. For example, Regain and BetterHelp offer therapy subscription packages that can start as low as $65- $90 per week. 

Married couples and their providers can connect for one-on-one sessions, meet together, or a combination of both. You and the couples therapist can decide on the best way for your therapy sessions to be conducted. 

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Marriage counseling has helped many relationships

Takeaway

Now that you understand the benefits of marriage counseling and how it can help improve your marriage, what next steps will you take?  If you're ready to let a professional help change your life, reach out to a licensed therapist at BetterHelp or Regain today.
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