Marriage Counseling Is Not Completely Free
Nowadays, over 50 % of married couples seek marriage therapy under the pressure of modern life or some other personal issues.
If you and your partner have decided to work on your marriage, free therapy or online therapy can help you. It would be great if you both decide that you want to work on your relationship,
All you need is a desktop, laptop, and mobile phone, and you are ready to take part in free marriage counseling online. You can chat with mental health professionals that are trained in psychology online using leading psychotherapy apps and psychology practices in every part of the United States. You can find some free web articles, quizzes, couples forums, support groups, and guides that can help you to learn some new strategies and behavior and start to view your life circumstance and marriage from a realistic point of view before making any big decisions in life.
So, if you and your partner both feel confident enough, you can start searching online for free counseling, and you will probably find many online marriage counselors that are accredited professionals, and you can be sure that you are paying for quality services.
There are four types of online counseling available for your marriage:
- Audio and video files
- E-books and resource pages
- Live online counselors
- Power of Two Online ( developed by a grant from the US Federal government)
However, all these four types of online marriage counseling are not completely free.
How Much Does Online Counseling Cost?
1. Audio files
So, one of the options you have is to buy a collection of audio files that you can listen to; some may even come with a workbook. This type of counseling is not a real one, and you do not have a real therapist who can give you advice according to your specific needs. In addition, it can be as expensive as real in-person counseling, but the good side of it is that the material is always available for you and you can watch it or listen to it a few times and reap all the benefits from it.
Example CD/DVD programs:
| The name of the program | What you receive | The costs |
| (www.marriagemax.com)
Marriage Fitness |
One workbook, a few emails and a phone call besides the library of audio files and seven teleseminars
|
$159/month |
| (www.lightyourfire.com)
Light Your Fire |
CD’s that last 9 hours and a workbook | $119 |
| (www.marriagebuilders.com) Marriage Builders | Six CDs, a book, and a workbook | $195 |
2. E-books and resource pages
There are many websites that offer e-mail series, articles, and e-books that can be sometimes free of charge. They may be affordable and easy to access, but they are not may be the best and the most effective way to save your marriage.
Example download/e-mail programs:
| The name of the program | What you receive | Costs |
| Simple Marriage (www.simplemarriage.net) | Phone and video-based counseling and online platform | $40-$70/week |
| Dr. Lee Baucom (www.savethemarriage.com) | 1 e-book | $47 |
3. Live Online Marriage Counseling
Some therapists offer online counseling and phone-based counseling. This can be more convenient and sometimes more affordable than in-person counseling. It is also accessible for people with lower mobility and it is available for people who prefer text messaging or video calls because they feel more comfortable with it. According to experts, this type of counseling is not very reliable for people who are in physically abusive relationships and are victims of domestic violence.
Example of online marriage counseling options:
| The name of the program | What you receive | Costs |
| Regain.us | Phone and video-based counseling and online platform | $40-$70/week |
| www.betterhelp.com | Phone and video-based counseling | $40-70/week |
| www.talkspace.com | Phone and video-based counseling | $79/week |
| www.breakthrough.com | Video-based counseling | $140/week |
7 Ways To Save Your Marriage Without Counseling
Marriage is very fragile, and according to statistics, around 50 % of marriages will end up in divorce. (1)
Still, problems are part of life, and there is always a way to resolve them and it is never too late to start anew and repair the marriage.
If you really want to solve your issues as a partner, you must be humble and accept the mistakes you have made. You should care for your partner’s feelings and listen to what they say and decide that you will change and grow.
We offer you a few tips to try if you are not willing to consult a therapist and you like to resolve your marriage issues by yourself if you want to know how to get marriage counseling for free, here is how:
1. You can ask a trusted friend to be your mediator
You can find a friend whom you both trust and appreciate and ask him to mediate between you, but he must know you really well and should not be judgmental or take sides.
Never raise your voice, stay calm, and never interrupt the dialogue between you and your partner; try to solve the problem patiently and with no stress.
If the mediator makes or says something inappropriately, do not take it for granted because he makes such a big sacrifice for both of you.
Just stop and listen and be ready to change yourself in a positive matter. If you cannot do it alone, ask for a professional.
2. Go on a vacation together
Travelling and vacation are one of the best ways to repair the marriage. When you all time together, you work as part of a team and get away from everyday stressful activities like kids and work, which works as magic.
When you are alone with your partner, you can focus on your relationship and try to find ways to repair it.
3. Imagine your life alone
At times, you can feel annoyed by your partner and you just cannot stand it, which is completely normal. But, imagine your life without him, how it would be if you woke up alone, raising your children with no emotional or financial help. These are important questions to raise before thinking about leaving your partner. Try not to think so much about all toxic things that make you feel annoyed and think beyond. Grow and listen.
4. Write each other a letter
A letter can be some sort of a mediator and it can allow you to understand your partner’s perspective better, avoid any accusatory arguments, and communicate information better. Writing can reveal all the accumulated issues and feelings. In the end, it will help you to see which points are small and maybe not even worth mentioning. It eliminates all the loud voices and wrong accusations.
5. Define all important and unimportant issues
Define what is important and unimportant for both of you and prepare for some serious conversations about a thing you cannot live without, which are important for you, and see whether your marriage is broken just because of some unimportant things. If things are not so important, then you can address them easily and understand that no one is perfect. But, if there are major issues then to be resolved, then you will need a help of a professional.
6. Purchase a book about healthy communication and self-help
You can find some online free books for healthy communication and self–help to increase your self-awareness.
7. Have some fun time and practice gratitude
When you start practicing gratitude, you start appreciating your partner more. When you have some fun time together, you will overcome marital issues more easily and you will restore as a couple.
Repairing marriage varies from couple to couple and there is no one fixed solution that works for everyone.
4 Online Free Marriage Counseling Apps
In the mobile era we live in, software applications can be used to untangle daily situations and can help you even when it comes to marriage counseling. There are, by surprise, some free online marriage applications to save on your budget and chat comfortably from your home or whatever place you are in.
1.ReGain
You can schedule an appointment on this application for free at any time you want, and it is open 24/7 in case you have any issues with your family, so get it installed on your mobile. You can consult a counselor in a private chat room about the issues you have. The charges you will pay are nominal and are half of the fees you would pay for visiting a counselor in person.
All counselors are licensed and have Master’s degrees in their fields and there is no limit to sending chats to the therapists.
2. Couple Counseling
This is another free application that you can download and ask the therapists for help. You can connect with your partner with the application and start a conversation and share your feelings through a notebook that you can keep in this application. There are also quizzes that can reveal your choices and self–examine, which can really help you in the whole process.
3. Lasting
This application is created in accordance with big scientific research, and the first 5 sessions are free. You will get a basic assessment and they personalize your plan, and you can focus on the areas you need to focus such as emotional intimacy.
The sessions are shared with your partner and you can even get suitable reminders to rebuild your relationship with the partner, like messaging them.
4. Love Nudge App
This application is 100% free and it is always better to use it with your partner, although you can use it alone. It is created according to the book 5 Love Languages, and you can take a quiz to see which love language is yours and create love activities related to it.
