Marriage counseling is a form of therapy that helps couples identify, address, and solve a variety of different issues. Regardless of the state of your relationship, these sessions can help you and your spouse grow into a healthier couple. They won’t necessarily fix all your problems overnight, but they’re guaranteed to ease future tensions.
While there are more pros than cons to marriage counseling, the biggest downside of this form of therapy is its price tag. The average session costs between $100-200 per hour, and they are rarely covered by insurance. Luckily, we live in an age where counseling is more accessible than ever. So, if you and your partner are considering it, but haven’t been able to leap. We’ve gathered some wallet-friendly alternatives to marriage counseling that work.
- Individual counseling:
Even though marriage counseling is a great resource for struggling couples, it’s not always necessary. If the root of your problems stems from unaddressed issues, it’s important to heal those individually. One-on-one therapy can help you (or your spouse), navigate through past trauma to heal any harsh behavior – such as anger management issues or emotional unavailability. Marriage counseling, on the other hand, will only shed light on problems dealing with how you interact with each other. For these reasons, individual counseling can sometimes be more effective and significantly more affordable than marriage counseling.
- Self-help books:
If the idea of opening up to a therapist seems frightening, we recommend picking up a self-help book! Today’s market is full of a variety of resources that cover a range of issues dealing with anything from communication, to trust, to even intimacy. When you seek help from a book, you are taking counseling into your own hands. If you’d prefer to learn from an author with a psychology background, you totally can. But, if you’d rather learn from testimonials and personal experiences, you can dive into those books as well. Just remember to stick to a plan that works for you and your spouse. Other than that, you can enjoy the wonders of marriage counseling without the price and awkwardness of a therapy session.
- Relish
Self-help books aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. But, if individual therapy isn’t either, we have the perfect alternative: Relish. Known for its personalized guidance, Relish provides its users with 24/7 access to a trained therapist, interactive lessons, social forums, and even quizzes. All proven to revamp your relationship with your spouse. Think at-home marriage counseling at a fraction of the cost. Self-help apps are reasonably new.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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