How Much Does Marriage Counseling Cost? Everything to Know

Adding marriage counseling to your relationship toolkit is a great choice—we don't have to convince you of the value of that investment. Though, you're likely wondering: How much does marriage counseling cost? Is marriage counseling covered by insurance? Are there low-cost marriage counseling options out there? To help set the record straight before you seek out a counselor, we've recruited Danielle Sethi, a marriage counselor and therapist based in Naples, Florida, to tell you everything you need to know about the true marriage counseling cost (and other cost factors) below.

"The reality is, there aren't any couples who don't face stress, pain and disconnection at some point or another," says Sethi. "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."

In this article:

• How Much Does Marriage Counseling Cost?
• How to Budget for Marriage Counseling

How Much Does Marriage Counseling Cost?

Although marriage counseling can range in price, it's fair to say that most sessions start with an offering of 50 minutes priced between $100–$500+, according to Sethi.

"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 (you can find resources for that on The Knot Vendor Marketplace, by the way) to start your marriage off on the right foot, marriage counseling to maintain and nourish your connection 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 marriage counseling cost in your area. (For to-be-weds, use The Knot Budget Advisor to calculate these costs into your wedding budget.)

Factors Influencing the Cost of Marriage Counseling

How much is marriage counseling? Well, it truly depends. Here are a few factors that bump the average cost of marriage counseling up or down.

• Location: Where you live or where your marriage counselor is based might influence your cost per session, such as a major city versus a suburb, or a high-cost-of-living area versus a low one.
• Therapist's level of training: "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."
• In-person or online counseling: On average, in-person counseling sessions cost more than online, but that doesn't mean they have a higher value per say. For example, OurRitual is an online platform that thoughtfully pairs couples with a Relationship Expert that guides them through a personalized, flexible program using interventions and methods backed by science. And plans start at $60 per week for a couple, which is on the lower end compared to the cost of traditional marriage counseling. Not to mention: The service includes helpful videos, exercises and digital tools to continue the work between sessions.
• Insurance coverage: Many insurance companies do not cover relationship work, but marriage counseling that accepts insurance does exist, which would factor into your overall cost. In some cases, you may be able to use out-of-network benefits for reimbursement.

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

"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.

Look for High-Quality Services That Prioritize Affordability

Yes, they're out there. OurRitual is specifically priced at a more affordable rate than traditional therapy with no need for insurance. There's also no wait times or diagnosis required to begin your sessions (either solo or with your partner), so the emotional and logistical "cost" of getting started is low too. The icing on the cake: You can get 25% off your first subscription month with code: THEKNOT25.

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.

Additional reporting by Cathryn Haight.