Free Marriage Counseling: How It Can Help Save Your Relationship In 2024

Does free counseling exist? Where can you get free relationship counseling online? Here are our counseling reviews as well as our top counseling tips, free relationship advice, and recommendations.

All about online relationship counseling

Have you and your spouse been having issues in your marriage that you haven't been able to resolve on your own presently or in the past? You're not the only married couple to go through this. Counseling can be great for couples looking to work on their relationship, particularly for today's connected couples who are busier than ever. Work and family obligations are critical stressors that often affect the quality of marriages and other romantic relationships as many couples must spend large amounts of time apart. If you want to have more than hope to save or find ways to improve your marriage, free marriage counseling or online therapy can help, but how do find a couples therapist?

The good news is: taking part in free marriage counseling online with mental health professionals trained in psychology is as easy as logging in using your desktop, laptop, or mobile phone. Using leading psychotherapy apps and psychology practices, couples can chat with mental health professionals and licensed therapists from anywhere in the US. 

Free marriage counseling: How it can help save your relationship in 2024

To find online couples therapy, you can search for "free marriage counseling near me" or "marriage therapist near me". One of the first options that a Google search will yield is results for popular online mental health and relationship therapy sites like BetterHelp.com, Regain, or Talkspace. What all of these platforms have in common is that they provide mental health counseling and relationship counseling services online. However, finding a good marriage counselor takes some extra work. Beyond marriage counseling, some couples may benefit from apps for couples to improve communication and trust.

Couples and families who take part in free marriage counseling online may gain limited psychology counseling services and a wide variety of psychology self-help resources like free online marriage counseling worksheets, diagnostic tools, web articles, and blog posts. These free online counseling resources can lead couples in the right direction toward improving the quality of their relationships.

The following agencies and organizations provide completely free psychology options for marriage counseling online and related psychology support services by marriage builders and psychology professionals.

• Life coaches
• Churches
• State organizations
• Work-life benefits
• Behavioral health benefits providers

Another popular option for getting free marriage counseling online is by calling a free marriage counseling hotline. Many independent organizations and services have mental health professionals operate 24-hour call centers that help married couples and individuals in crisis.

Speaking with a representative or marriage counselor using a free marriage counseling hotline provides married couples with resources and referrals. Improve your marriage with the help of a neutral third person who gives insight into what's been causing the rift in your marriage or challenging things in your relationship. 

It’s important to note that these free services often cannot officially diagnose any mental health conditions or offer prescription medications as a form of or supplement to treatment. Still, if you want to save or improve your marriage, free marriage counseling options can be a great place to start for someone.

How does marriage therapy online work?

With online marriage therapy, you can talk to your therapist and address common marital concerns related to communication, finances, infidelity, family issues, or whatever else is weighing on your marriage. Understanding that your therapist is on your side is half the battle. Therapists are there to provide clients with professional advice, guidance, and support, along with expert opinions to help work through the pain and conflict.

Therapy sessions are often designed to help you view your marriage and life circumstances from a realistic point of view to make critical decisions to maintain (or dissolve) your marriage. Each case has its own unique set of circumstances. What works for one couple may not work for the next. This is why it's critical to understand that online marriage counseling services are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Marriage builders are geared toward each relationship on a case-by-case basis. Maybe you have been to one prior due to issues as parents, but the new one you go to will not be the same as your previous experience. Whatever the matter may be now, you will work with your therapist to create a treatment plan that works for you and your spouse with techniques to help even when you are not in the counseling session. 

BetterHelp's online marriage counseling sessions are highly customized and tailored around your specific circumstances, goals, and relationship needs. If you're serious about improving or saving your marriage, committing to attending online marriage counseling sessions maybe once a week with a licensed therapist or counselor is a major step in the right direction. Plus you will save valuable time compared to therapy in an office, which can make all the difference if you don't mind connecting with an expert virtually.

How online marriage therapists add value to intimate relationships

Regardless of the outcome, when you attend marriage counseling sessions online with mental health professionals, you and your spouse will take away valuable information that will give you insight into your own and each other's personality that you didn't have before. Counseling sessions with experts and licensed mental health professionals are a two-way street. What you learn in counseling is not only to identify when other people are stepping on your boundaries; you may learn more about yourself than you ever expected, and thus more about your relationships and interactions within them.

Learn new coping skills and strategies for communicating with your partner - in their language. Hear and be heard in marital counseling sessions that give both partners an equal opportunity to finally be heard in new ways. You may be surprised to find that you were both saying the same things all along but were focused on different things. However, even if you communicate well, there can be other areas in which marriage therapy can serve couples. But how does marriage counseling work?

Couples who are considering separation or divorce learn to identify and focus on marital stressors, such as lack of intimacy. Getting to the bottom of these real-life issues with someone you can trust — along with honesty, courtesy, respect, and mutual understanding — is what allows marriages to heal for these clients.

If you'd rather go the do-it-yourself route for finding free therapy, you can begin to find marriage counseling resources with a simple search online.

When you search, you'll be provided with various free counseling and support options, including support groups, couples forums, web articles, quizzes, and guides that can help you learn new behavior and communication strategies to apply to your most important relationship.

Real-life solutions with BetterHelp

If you'd rather be guided through the process by a licensed professional therapist, social worker, or another certified mental health professional, getting started with the affordable online therapy options at BetterHelp is an excellent place to start. The BetterHelp platform provides a wide variety of licensed and educated therapists.

Counselors and therapists on the BetterHelp platform are licensed in their state of residence and are trained in several psychology techniques. Their titles may vary (Ph.D., LPC, LMFT, LCSW, to name a few), and their areas of expertise or passion may vary, but they all are committed to helping you heal challenges in your marriage. When you start sessions with your online counselor, you'll have the option to choose from licensed distance therapy providers in your state of residence, as well. 

When you participate in couples counseling sessions online with mental health professionals, you and your spouse can benefit – if you're dedicated to the process. Discuss your issues in an environment with a licensed or certified professional whom you can trust. Taking part in counseling sessions online eliminates the need for making a long commute or trying to fit in another appointment while trying to balance a hectic schedule.

Additionally, online therapy has been proven to be just as effective as in-person therapy for various mental health conditions and situations. This includes couples therapy; online therapy is effective in treating common couples issues revolving around intimacy, affection, communication, and other topics.

Continue reading below to find some brief reviews of our licensed therapists and mental health professionals from people seeking help in their marriages.

Couples therapist reviews

“I love working w/ Nicole. She's super empathetic and insightful - she already helped me in just two weeks - I want to continue working with her. I feel that just talking to her has helped my marriage tremendously.”

“Phillip has helped me see patterns in myself that I didn’t see before. I didn’t realize that I struggled with the fear of trust and emotional abandonment and he not only listened to and helped me come to that realization but has also given me tools to overcome that. He does a good balance of listening and providing help for my husband and me to the point where our arguments have almost stopped altogether and have turned into healthy discussions. He is also real to talk to and makes opening up easy.”