The Best Online Couples Counseling in 2023

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Online couples therapy can give partners the insights and tools to build a strong foundation for a healthy partnership. Although some of the best online therapy platforms can help you with your relationship goals in one-on-one therapy sessions, virtual couples therapy allows you to include your partner in your therapy sessions. This can be convenient if couples live apart, are long distance, have busy schedules, or feel more comfortable interacting with their therapist in a home setting. We reviewed the best online couples therapy for partners at every stage of their relationship.

• Best for long-distance couples: Talkspace
• Most affordable couples therapy: ReGain
• Best for choosing your own therapist: Thriveworks
• Best for a weekend intensive retreat: Couples Therapy Inc.

We independently investigate and recommend products and services we believe will enrich the lives of our readers and meet their specific needs. We’ve spent many hours carrying out in-depth research on the online therapy market. You can trust our review because we did the legwork for you in these specific ways:

• Engaged in ongoing independent research
• Mystery shopped each of the brands
• Contacted the brands’ customer service teams to ask questions and gauge responsiveness
• Consulted six leading psychologists and psychiatrists
• Became customers of online therapy providers ourselves
• Reviewed academic research about the efficacy of online therapy versus in-person therapy
• Read hundreds of verified customer reviews from trusted third parties such as the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot

* Without financial aid

Pros

• Includes audio, video, and text messaging with therapist
• Therapists available in all states
• Accepts insurance for diagnosed mental health conditions

Cons

• Hard to reach customer service
• Higher weekly cost than ReGain

Costs $109 per week

Accepts Insurance Yes, for diagnosed mental health conditions

Session Format Live video sessions; unlimited text, audio, or video messaging between sessions

Talkspace is an online therapy platform that offers couples therapy in addition to individual therapy and psychiatry. A couples therapy subscription includes four 45-minute virtual live sessions a month in addition to unlimited messaging between you, your partner, and your therapist. Live video sessions are conducted through the Talkspace website or app, and you can send text, audio, or video messages to your therapist.

To get started, Talkspace will ask you a few questions to match you with a couples counselor, including why you’ve thought about getting help, whether you’ve worked with a couples counselor before, and what gender you’d prefer in a provider.

Since you and your partner can join online sessions and send messages in the messaging room with separate logins, the couples therapy plan from Talkspace can be a good option for couples who are living apart or long distance. Talkspace states that its therapists have set schedules to check their clients’ messages five days per week. According to our April 2022 survey of 1,000 online therapy users, 49 percent of Talkspace users received responses to their messages within a day. Of the rest, 14 percent received responses within a few days, 14 percent received responses within a week, and 23 percent stated that it regularly took more than a week to receive responses.

If you want to invite your partner to sessions, Talkspace recommends that you and your partner log in from different devices. If you do, you will be the primary account holder, and your partner will be the secondary account holder. Only the primary account holder is able to schedule live sessions and request a superbill to submit to their insurance company if eligible for reimbursement.

Talkspace clarifies that although it accepts insurance in certain situations, insurance doesn’t typically cover counseling unless your reason for seeking it stems from a mental health condition, such as sex addiction, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or a mood disorder, among others. Check with your insurance provider to clarify whether your plan covers couples therapy.

Without insurance, the convenience of live sessions and messaging comes at a cost. Talkspace couples therapy costs $109 per week, or $436 billed monthly, which is the highest starting weekly cost on our list.

We found it hard to reach customer service when we had questions about couples therapy on Talkspace. Contact information was difficult to find, and our questions submitted through a contact form didn’t get answered for more than five business days. This may be frustrating if you want to reach out to Talkspace to clarify anything before starting or during your subscription.

Talkspace has licensed therapists for users in all states.

Pros

• Includes audio, video, and text messaging with your therapist
• Lowest weekly cost on our list
• Offers financial assistance to qualified applicants
• Therapists available in all states

Cons

• Doesn’t accept insurance
• Requires you to reapply for financial aid every three months

Costs $60 to $90 per week, depending on provider availability, user preferences, and user location

Accepts Insurance No

Session Format Live video, phone, or chat sessions; unlimited text, audio, or video messaging between sessions

ReGain is a specialty site of BetterHelp that’s dedicated to providing online relationship therapy. Like BetterHelp, ReGain offers four live sessions per month, in addition to unlimited messaging between couples and their therapist. Live sessions can last between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on how much time you and your therapist determine you need. Partners can communicate with their therapist through phone, video, or live chat.

ReGain matches you with a therapist based on a questionnaire you complete when you sign up. When matched to a therapist, you’ll receive an email stating that you were matched and who with. At that point, you’ll be prompted to enter your payment information to start therapy. If at any time you are unhappy with your match, you can request a new therapist in your account settings.

ReGain may be a more affordable option than other online couples therapy options. Plans cost between $60 and $90 per week, depending on your location and the availability of providers who meet your preferences.

If you indicate during the sign-up process that you can’t afford therapy, ReGain will ask a variety of questions to determine your eligibility for financial aid, including questions about your employment status and your partner’s, your combined income, and the number of dependents you have. Depending on your answers, you may be eligible for a discount of up to 40 percent. If you receive financial aid and wish to continue to receive your discount, you’ll be asked to reapply every three months.

Although ReGain has the lowest weekly costs among the platforms on our list, it does not accept insurance for its couples therapy.

ReGain has therapists available for users in all states.

Pros

• Easy to navigate provider listing
• Responsive customer service
• Accepts insurance for diagnosed mental health conditions

Cons

• Messaging option only available by paying an additional membership fee
• Not available in all states

Costs Starting at $99 per session, depending on the provider’s rate; memberships starting at $39 per month, depending on the provider’s practice location

Accepts Insurance Yes, for diagnosed mental health conditions

Session Format Live video

Thriveworks is a mental health practice with therapists who offer couples therapy sessions virtually. For partners who know exactly what kind of couples therapist they’re looking for, its provider search tool makes it easy to find a choice that checks all the boxes. Couples who have tight schedules may also appreciate that some Thriveworks therapists have same-day or next-day appointments available to get started.

Instead of having a questionnaire that matches you with a couples therapist, the search tool on Thriveworks shows you therapists in your state and allows you to filter by:

• Therapy type
• Specialty
• Session type
• Insurance
• Therapist’s gender
• Client’s age
• Provider’s language
• Counseling approach

We found that Thriveworks customer service was easy to contact when we had questions about a therapist or their practice. We called and live chatted with customer service agents who helped answer our questions and offered options for therapists that fit our therapist wish list.

Thriveworks offers live 50-minute video sessions for couples counseling. You and your partner can join the session separately. If you and your partner want the option to message your therapist, you have to pay for a Thriveworks membership in addition to the per-session cost. Membership costs start at $39 per month but may be higher depending on your therapist’s practice location. The messaging chat room is shared with your partner.

Thriveworks has therapists in most states, but as of October 2022, it does not have therapists licensed to practice in New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia.

Pros

• Unique weekend intensive therapy format
• All therapists trained in the Gottman method and discernment counseling
• Offers a free self-guided couples therapy course

Cons

• Not available in all states
• Does not accept insurance
• High upfront cost

Costs Starting at $3,500 per retreat, depending on the provider

Accepts Insurance No

Session Format Live video

The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy states that marriage and family therapists who regularly practice short-term therapy spend an average of 11.5 sessions with the couples they treat. That amounts to an average of three months of weekly sessions.

For couples who can’t accommodate weekly therapy sessions, an intensive format may be a good option. Couples Therapy Inc. offers couples therapy in a weekend intensive format, meaning that sessions with your partner and therapist run virtually from Friday through Sunday on a chosen weekend. The Friday session is held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET, and the Saturday and Sunday sessions are held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. Depending on the therapist’s schedule, you may be able to change the day of your sessions if you and your partner aren’t available on weekends.

Although it’s a relatively short investment in time, the virtual weekend retreats come with a larger upfront cost, starting at $3,500 per retreat, depending on the provider’s rates. Couples Therapy Inc. retreats aren’t eligible for insurance reimbursement.

Couples Therapy Inc. also offers therapy on a per-session basis for $119 to $220 per 55-minute session, depending on the therapist.

Couples Therapy Inc. therapists all have training in the Gottman method and discernment counseling. The Gottman method is an approach to couples therapy that involves a thorough relationship assessment and integrates research-based interventions to help couples reach their goals, such as improving verbal communication and fostering intimacy, respect, and understanding.

If you and your partner are considering separating or are ambivalent about it, your therapist may recommend discernment counseling. According to an article published in November 2020 in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, discernment counseling is designed to help couples considering divorce obtain a greater sense of clarity and confidence in their decisions regarding the future of their marriage. After discernment counseling, couples may decide to stay married, divorce, or attempt to reconcile by attending couples therapy.

You can choose your therapist by looking through the Couples Therapy Inc. therapist directory to find therapists licensed in your state. Each therapist’s profile lists their education, extra training, and practice values so you can choose a therapist who suits your needs. Therapists are available in most states, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Australia. According to the American Psychological Association, most state laws allow psychologists licensed in the United States to offer therapy internationally, providing their client’s country of residence doesn’t require additional training or licensing. As of October 2022, Couples Therapy Inc. does not have therapists licensed in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Louisiana, Mississippi, Michigan, and Vermont.

If you want more information about what you can expect from its online weekend retreats, Couples Therapy Inc. offers a free self-guided course that’s available once you create an account to help you get started. It has 19 lessons of readings and videos that explain topics like the different types of couples therapy, what to expect from the intensive program, and how to get the most out of couples therapy.

Like online marriage counselors, couples counselors may use different approaches to assess and treat relationship issues compared with individual therapy. Choosing the best couples therapy for your partnership can depend on features that make it most convenient and comfortable for you and your partner to connect. Consider the following factors to determine the best online couples therapy:

• Session Type Live video sessions between partners and therapists are the most typical ways to connect. Depending on the platform, live sessions can take place through phone, video, or text.

• Shared Messaging Some platforms offer unlimited messaging between you, your partner, and your couples therapist between sessions. This type of asynchronous communication might work better for couples who prefer to reflect on their sessions or relationship at different times of the day. Partners share the message room with their therapist, so this may not be an option for those who aren’t ready to communicate this way.

• Schedules Online couples therapy sessions can last between 30 and 50 minutes on the platforms we researched. It’s important to consider which platform has therapists with appointment availability that works for both partners. Thriveworks has therapists available for booking the same day or the next day, but the weekend intensive from Couples Therapy Inc. might need more planning ahead of time.

• Type of Approach Couples therapists each have unique training and values that influence how they conduct their sessions. Talkspace and ReGain have questionnaires that match you with therapists based on your goals and desired approach. Thriveworks lists each of its therapists’ specialties and approaches. Couples Therapy Inc. has therapists trained in the Gottman method and discernment counseling.

Partners can benefit from couples therapy at any stage in their relationship. According to Jeremy Schumacher, a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in Milwaukee, it’s never too early to start couples therapy.

Schumacher adds that couples may typically see relationship therapists “years after they start having problems, so getting into therapy sooner rather than later is a good way to go.” He recommends that partners think about starting therapy “at any point, whether it’s prevention or maintenance work, or at the first sign of trouble.”

Couples considering marriage, strengthening their marriage, recovering from infidelity, considering or going through a divorce, or wanting to work through intimacy issues can benefit from couples therapy. Jordie Smith, a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in Canton, Michigan, adds that couples therapy sessions can also focus on communication, past trauma, upbringing, and finances.

In addition to the many types of individual therapy that can be used in a couples therapy setting, your therapist may use other approaches to ensure that you get the most out of your couples therapy sessions.

One technique is emotionally focused therapy (EFT). According to the Society of Clinical Psychology, EFT helps distressed partners create a more secure relationship bond in three stages:

1. De-escalation involves helping couples understand how their negative interactions drive a cycle of distress.
2. Restructuring involves shaping core emotional experiences and interactions that foster a more secure bond.
3. Consolidation involves helping couples use what they learned from the first two steps to solve problems in their everyday lives and build a more resilient relationship.

Our reviews team extensively scrutinizes online therapy platforms to make sure we only recommend those we believe will make a difference to our readers. Together, we’ve researched prominent brands through the experiences of real customers and consulted with independent mental health professionals to better understand why people seek out online therapy. Read more about our online therapy review methodology.

Online couples therapy allows partners to connect remotely and work on their relationship. We found that Talkspace offered the best options for long-distance couples because of the variety of ways for partners to communicate with their therapist during live sessions and through messaging.

ReGain offers couples therapy at a lower price than its competitors and offers financial assistance for cost-conscious couples.

For partners who prefer to choose their providers over being matched, Thriveworks therapist profiles include extensive detail to help partners vet the one they feel most comfortable with.

For couples who want to tackle their relationship concerns in a short amount of time, Couples Therapy Inc. offers a unique intensive couples therapy program that couples can complete within a weekend.

If you are in a crisis situation, waiting for an online therapy appointment may not be safe. In case of an emergency, call 911. This includes plans to harm yourself or others. If you or your partner are having suicidal thoughts, you or they can call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. Help is available 24/7. You also can text the Crisis Text Line (HELLO to 741741).

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357) is also a resource to consider. The SAMHSA help line is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-days-a-year treatment referral and information service for individuals facing mental or substance abuse disorders.