How Much Does Marriage Counseling Cost? Let's Find Out

Don't just Invest in your wedding, but your marriage too!
Couple holding hands while at marriage counseling
Photo: Lomb | Shutterstock
Hayley Folk
by Hayley Folk
Updated Oct 14, 2024

You and your partner have celebrated your big day with a dream wedding, but what about investing in marriage counseling? Counseling isn't just for big life changes, stressful times or when something feels off, but a great tool to have in your marriage toolkit at any time. But how much does marriage counseling cost?

"The reality is, there are not any couples who don't face stress, pain and disconnection at some point or another," says Danielle Sethi, a marriage counselor and therapist based in Naples, Florida. "Dealing with those hardships requires skills that many of us never learned growing up: Regulating emotions, communicating well and sharing vulnerably. Couples need to build these skills for their relationship to last in the long-term."

Enter: Seeking out a counselor. If you've never ventured down the path before, you might wonder about marriage counseling. How much does it cost? Is marriage counseling covered by insurance? Are there low-cost marriage counseling options out there? To help, we've recruited Sethi to give you everything you need to know about the true cost of marriage counseling (and anything else you'd need) below.

In this article:

How Much Does Marriage Counseling Cost?

According to Sethi, the cost of marriage counseling really depends on where you live and where you go. Although marriage counseling can range greatly price-wise, it's fair to say that most sessions start with an offering of 50 minutes. "I've seen anywhere from $100 for students in graduate school to upwards of $500 for seasoned clinicians," Sethi explains, "But a more typical price range is something in between, in the $150 to $200 range, depending on where you live."

It's true: Marriage counseling can feel like an investment, and not only a financial one. It's an investment in your couplehood, whether you're looking for premarital counseling, to start off your new marriage on the right foot or you're both looking for support in getting back on track after a tough time. As we said, prices can vary, so make sure to check out multiple avenues to get the big picture of the cost of marriage counseling in your area. For to-be-weds, use The Knot Budget Tool to calculate these costs in your wedding budget.

Is Marriage Counseling Covered by Insurance?

Next, if you're already paying for insurance, you may be Googling: Does insurance cover marriage counseling? The answer to that is, again, based on your circumstances. Many insurance companies do not cover relationship work, but marriage counseling that accepts insurance does exist, too.

So make sure you do your thorough research before you pay out of pocket. There are also workarounds for getting low-cost or free sessions. For example, many of Sethi's clients may not be covered by insurance, but they can use out-of-network benefits for reimbursement.

Of course, this will vary based on location, insurance plan and other presenting mental health issues, she adds, but it's always great to do yourself and your partner a solid and check if your marriage counseling services would qualify for insurance or not.

What Influences the Cost of Marriage Counseling?

There are a lot of factors that go into what determines the average cost of marriage counseling. We recommend knowing what could influence it, so you can make the best decision for you and your honey. "The biggest variables in the cost of marriage counseling are the location of the therapist and their level of training," Sethi says, "Marriage counselors receive training in graduate school but also often complete specialized training in different models of therapy outside of graduate school. Often, the more specialized a clinician is, the higher their rate will be."

Another factor is whether you're doing an online vs. in-person counseling experience. How much does online marriage counseling cost? It may be slightly cheaper than an IRL session. Try comparing prices.

How to Budget for Marriage Counseling

We get it: the cost is a true investment, but worth it when you see the success of marriage counseling. We find it most helpful to budget for marriage counseling costs together. Here are a few ways to do this:

Be Clear and Upfront With Your Therapist

"To budget for marriage counseling, I would recommend being clear and upfront at the beginning with your therapist about the current state of your relationship, your history in therapy and past trauma," Sethi suggests, "Your therapist cannot know for sure how many sessions it will take to see improvements, but they can give you an estimate about how many sessions, for how long and how often for you to see results." With this information, you can know how much you need to budget.

Swap Out One Thing To Save Money

For many couples, swapping out one thing you may enjoy doing together—like sacrificing a night or two eating or drinking out during the week—is an easy way to budget for and factor in marriage counseling. Use a budget app to see how counseling fits into your budget and where you can cut back on spending.

Try Finding Low-Cost Marriage Counseling

For some folks, we know that the cost of marriage counseling (even with budgeting) can be difficult to access. But that doesn't mean you don't deserve the support, too. "You can ask for, or search for, a therapist with a sliding scale reduced fee option if funds are a barrier for you," Sethi explains. Remember: There are always options for marriage counseling. You've just got to get out there and see for yourself.

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