Some people view couples therapy as a luxury only afforded to those with extra means. Other people see couples therapy as a last resort when the relationship has all but dissolved. While there is a cost, a happy, healthy relationship is priceless. Counseling shouldn’t be the final straw. Similar to a car, therapy is maintenance that keeps your relationship running smoothly. If the investment is made, you can avoid a serious issue later on – a breakdown or a divorce.

What is Couples Therapy?

Couples therapy is a form of psychotherapy designed to help couples resolve their conflicts and improve their communication and intimacy. The goal is to help couples build a stronger and more fulfilling relationship. Couples therapy is beneficial for couples of all ages and backgrounds and can help with a variety of issues including communication problems, infidelity, sexual problems, parenting issues, and more.

Some of the Benefits Couples Therapy Can Offer:

• Safe space for you and your partner to be vulnerable
• Impartial sounding board
• Tools to break unhealthy cycles
• Increased attunement
• More effective communication
• Coping strategies

Most couples seek couples therapy only at a point of distress, but couples therapy is helpful even without an obvious problem present. It can be used to prevent big issues from showing up in the future.

Qualifications of a Therapist

A qualified therapist has a minimum of a master’s degree and has completed clinical training, amounting to about 2 years of education and hands-on experience. An associate therapist has the above qualifications. A licensed therapist has an additional 3000 hours of supervised experience.

Therapists have different areas of expertise based on their graduate work and the types of clients they’ve worked with most often. Think about what areas you’d like to focus on and keep this in mind when searching for a therapist.

Average Cost of Couples Counseling Sessions

Without insurance, most couples pay between $100-$250 per session (about an hour), with sessions typically occurring weekly. Some therapists offer sliding-scale fees based on income, discounts for buying multiple sessions, or even payment plans.

Don’t let cost hold you back from getting the help you need. The Couples Center offers sliding scale options with therapists who offer counseling at a reduced hourly rate. There are also weekend workshops that are more affordable than weekly counseling.

The Couples Center’s Fees

The type of therapist you see, and the length of each session will affect the cost. Associate therapists are available to those who need more financial assistance. All associates are supervised by experienced licensed therapists and receive direct training from the founder of The Couples Center.

Licensed therapists can sometimes offer an additional $10-$40 off their fee for a sliding scale based on financial needs. Both Associate therapists and Licensed therapists recommend session lengths on a case-by-case basis. All session prices are adjusted in accordance with the length of the session.

Insurance Coverage for Couples Counseling

First, contact your insurance provider and ask them about how they cover couples counseling. Do not assume that insurance will cover the cost. Despite the connection to our health, therapy for maintaining your relationship, as in couples therapy, is not viewed the same way other types of therapy are. Couples counseling or marriage counseling is not deemed “medically necessary”.Typically, in order for coverage to apply, a mental health diagnosis is necessary.

Types of Couples Therapy

Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Therefore, you’ll want to consider the type best suited for your unique relationship. While most therapists are trained in a variety of styles, it’s good to know how they differ so that you can discuss what approach to take in your future sessions. Sometimes the best answer for couples is a mixture of styles.

Cognitive-Behavioral Couples Therapy (CBCT)

effective therapy for treating relationship issues. Research has found that Cognitive Behavioral Couples Therapy can significantly reduce couples’ distress.

Background

Cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (CBCT) focuses on the exchange between partners’ cognitions, behaviors, and emotional responses to help them improve their communication and problem-solving.

The therapist helps each person learn to identify any incorrect patterns of thinking they hold regarding their relationship. They then learn to challenge these beliefs so they cause problematic feelings or behaviors less often.

Goal

CBCT’s goal is to improve partners’ communication skills to allow partners to share their needs and emotions, without negative judgment. Therefore, instead of blaming the partner, partners learn to express their feelings and desires using speaker-listener techniques such as active listening.

Technique

One of the common techniques used in CBCT is cognitive restructuring, wherein the clinician guides partners to “identify and evaluate cognitions as they occur”. For example, a person might assume that their partner is upset with them, but their mood is simply the result of a hard day at work. CBCT would help the person to first question this automatic response and then test its validity using communication skills.

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT)

Background

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a research-proven approach that views disagreements between couples as a result of insecure attachments. EFT is useful for couples caught in a never-ending battle with the same outcome every time where both parties feel distanced.

Goal

Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT) does not directly focus on skill training, rather, the focus is on building new emotional experiences between partners that foster secure attachment. EFCT therapists help guide each partner to uncover primary emotions, such as sadness, fear, shame, etc.

Technique

In EFCT, the therapist uses empathy and repetition to encourage you to reflect on your beliefs. EFCT therapists work to clarify that both partners are entitled to their experiences and how they feel.

Solution-Focused Brief Couples Therapy (SFBCT)

Background

Solution-Focused Brief Couple Therapy is an approach that’s interested in the direction the couple would like to go in. It is not focused on the problems. It’s about a positive, shared, desired outcome.

Goal

Build a solution to a short-term, present problem, empowering the client by looking through a positive lens and identifying personal strengths.

Technique

Therapists encourage clients to achieve their couple goals in the same way they’ve found success in other areas. Clients are meant to experiment with different strategies to find one that works for their relationship.

Imago Relationship/Dialogue Therapy

Background

Imago therapy is a type of couples therapy that focuses on transforming conflict into healing and growth. Imago therapy is built on the belief that the feelings you experienced in childhood are likely to be present in your adult relationships.

Goal

The intention of imago therapy is to move towards healing each other’s childhood wounds. In doing that you’re able to form a more conscious relationship.

Technique

Imago therapy centers around what’s known as the “Imago Dialogue”. The couple agrees to take turns filling the role of “sender” and “receiver” and carry out 3 steps: mirroring, validation, and empathy. With mirroring, one person speaks and the other waits to then repeat what was said, without analyzing or responding in any way. Next, the receiver will validate what the sender said or ask for clarification on any parts that did not make sense to them. Lastly, the receiver tries to imagine what the sender must be feeling regarding what they said.