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I. The 10 Best Online Relationship Counseling Services of 2023

Ritual – Best Overall – Get 20% off with code: Therapy20

Ritual is a therapist-developed, research-backed program that is flexible for couples with busy schedules. Users can meet with professionals on their own or with a partner, and they receive personalized plans and supplementary tools to help them reach their goals.

Talkspace — Best for Convenient Communication

With Talkspace, clients and their counselors primarily communicate by exchanging audio, video, and text messages, allowing all parties to share their thoughts and get feedback from anywhere, at any time.

Growing Self Counseling and Coaching — Best for Premarital Counseling

Growing Self Counseling and Coaching offers multiple types of relationship therapy. For engaged couples, the service offers both private premarital counseling sessions and a guided assessment and learning program.

BetterHelp — Best for Individual Counseling

Sometimes building a healthier relationship means focusing on yourself. BetterHelp offers individual counseling to help clients gain new skills and insights that they can apply to their relationships.

Couples Learn — Best Trial Option

For couples who are unsure about relationship therapy, Couples Learn provides a free consultation to help them assess their needs, and determine whether online relationship therapy is right for them.

The Relationship Suite — Best for ESL Speakers

Relationship challenges can affect all couples, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, and language. The Relationship Suite can help many non-English speakers, with services available in Spanish, French, Hebrew, and Farsi.

ReGain — Most Flexible

ReGain’s platform gives couples flexibility with how and when they communicate, with live sessions available via phone and video chat, and unlimited messaging between them and their counselor.

MDLive — Best for Insurance Coverage

As a full-service telehealth platform, MDLive partners with many major health insurance providers in the U.S., allowing covered individuals to use their insurance for behavioral needs like relationship counseling.

E-Therapy Cafe — Best for Short-Term Counseling

There’s no timeframe for relationship counseling, but for some couples, a few sessions are sufficient. E-Therapy Cafe offers multiple short-term plans, including 3, 5, or 8 sessions.

Relationship Hero — Best Relationship Coaching

For some couples, relationship coaching is a better approach than therapy. Relationship Hero offers an intensive, guided program designed to help couples get the most out of their relationship.

II. How We Chose the Best Online Relationship Counseling

When it came to selecting our list of the top online relationship counseling providers, we focused on platforms that are accessible, flexible, and employ well-trained, competent therapists, counselors, and coaches who can give clients the quality of care they deserve.

Communication Methods

Many couples turn to online relationship counseling because it is more convenient and discreet to see a therapist from the comfort of their own home. We looked for online relationship counseling platforms that offer multiple communication methods, including video chats, phone calls, text or email messaging, and live chat, so couples have the flexibility to choose the communication mode that works best for them.

Available Therapists

To ensure that users would be able to find the ideal therapist to work with, we sought online relationship counseling platforms that employ different types of providers, including therapists, psychologists, counselors, and coaches, with different credentials and areas of expertise.

Accessible Care

Adding relationship counseling to what may already be a jam-packed schedule can be challenging. Therefore, one of our criteria was that online counseling platforms offer clients flexible options, including asynchronous communications via text, audio, or video messaging, and self-guided programs that can be done on their own time, as well as live appointments during evening and weekend hours.

III. Our Top Picks for Online Relationship Counseling

Ritual – Best Overall

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Many virtual therapy sites offer couples therapy as an option, but Ritual is specifically designed for people looking to improve their relationships with a partner. Ritual’s flexible program model allows users to attend video sessions alone or with a partner, while using research- and science-backed methods led by trained therapists. 

You’ll start with an introductory video call with one of Ritual’s experts, during which you will discuss your goals and concerns. Then, you can choose between several of Ritual’s Pathways, which are guided programs with different focus areas. Each Pathway comes with a set of daily journal prompts, videos, and reflection exercises to help you meet your goals. Weekly or bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with your dedicated expert help you track your progress. A library section in the Ritual app also gives you access to supplementary resources and tools. 

Solo Ritual users have two plan options with a flat monthly fee: the weekly meeting plan and the bi-weekly meeting plan. Couples have access to one monthly plan that includes three 15- to 20-minute solo sessions for each partner, plus one joint session. Each pathway takes around 1 to 2 months to complete. Users receive a 20% membership discount with the discount code “Therapy20”. Discount is automatically applied at checkout when you click on the link above.

What Patients Are Saying
Several Ritual customers have noted that communication with their partners has improved drastically. “Our sessions give me so much to think about, conversations with my wife are already so different,” one customer said. “I am really motivated to continue!”

Talkspace — Best for Convenient Communication

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For couples with busy schedules who may find it difficult to schedule joint therapy sessions, Talkspace offers a convenient alternative.

This platform delivers therapy through unlimited text, audio, and video messaging, which allows clients and therapists to communicate when and how is most convenient for them, and get support when they need it most. For couples who feel like they would also benefit from a live session with their therapist, 30-minute video chats can be added a la carte for a flat fee of $65 per session.

Talkspace has a roster of 5,000 licensed therapists who represent a variety of different approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic, Mindfulness, and more. During the initial sign-up process, users will have a free consultation to help them learn more about Talkspace’s services, and provide information about the issues they want to work on in couples therapy. This information is used to match them with the most appropriate therapist.

One of the perks of Talkspace is that they partner with a number of health insurance providers, such as Cigna and Humana, to give employees access to care through their mental or behavioral health benefits. Therefore, clients whose employers partner with Talkspace may be able to use their health insurance benefits to cover their therapy costs. Clients can also use Health Savings Accounts or Flexible Spending Accounts, or pay out of pocket for Talkspace’s services.

What Patients Are Saying
Talkspace clients praise the site for giving them a convenient option for getting the counseling they need. “Our experience with couples therapy was great,” writes one user. “Loved the convenience of writing whenever we had a chance. Our lives are so busy that I think it’d be nearly impossible to go somewhere.”

Growing Self Counseling and Coaching — Best for Premarital Counseling

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An in-person practice with locations in California, Colorado, and Arkansas, Growing Self Counseling and Coaching also offers many types of therapy online, including marriage counseling, couples therapy, and premarital counseling.

Clients looking for premarital counseling can choose between Growing Self’s “I Do!” program, or private premarital counseling with a licensed marriage and family therapist. Premarital counseling focuses on creating agreements around topics like parenting, finances, and priorities; creating a strong emotional foundation, and identifying any potential points of conflict prior to the marriage.

Other types of relationship therapy offered by Growing Self include marriage counseling, couples therapy, relationship coaching, and dating coaching. Long-distance couples can get online video therapy with secure, HIPAA-compliant online video. All clients, regardless of what type of therapy or help they are seeking, can sign up for a free consultation to find out if Growing Self is the right option for them.

Growing Self’s team of therapists and coaches includes both master’s-level and doctoral-level clinicians. Therapists practice evidence-based couples counseling and are highly trained with specialized education in couples and family therapy. Rates per session vary based on the therapist’s education and experience level, and can range from $55-$150. Early career clinicians have sliding scale options based on their availability and the client’s income. Although relationship therapy is typically not covered by health insurance benefits, in cases where Growing Self’s services are covered, they will accept insurance.

What Patients Are Saying
Growing Self Counseling and Coaching clients appreciate that the platform makes it convenient for them to get the help they need. “I loved and appreciated the fact that you offer help via video chat,” says one client. “It was exactly what I was looking for and needed.”

BetterHelp — Best for Individual Counseling

A screenshot of the online therapy landing page taken on February 2023
Generally, relationship therapy is based on partners working together with a therapist. However, in situations where one partner is unwilling or unable to participate in therapy, it can still be beneficial for the other person in the relationship to seek counseling.

BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that can help individuals address issues that may be affecting their relationship, including trauma, self-esteem, anger, conflict management, and more. BetterHelp’s team of licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, and licensed professional counselors can help individuals develop new skills and coping mechanisms that they can apply to strengthen all of their relationships, including those with romantic partners, family, friends, and colleagues.

During the sign-up process, clients complete a brief questionnaire about their history, the issues they are seeking to address, and any preferences they have for their therapist. Once BetterHelp matches clients with a therapist, they communicate via synchronous sessions, held via phone calls, video chats, or live messaging. BetterHelp also lets clients and their therapists exchange unlimited messages in a secure chat room, so help and guidance are accessible in between regularly scheduled sessions. Clients can access BetterHelp through their website, or via their mobile app, which is available for iOS and Android.

Clients are billed on a monthly basis. Although BetterHelp does not accept health insurance, they do offer financial assistance based on clients’ income. They also offer discounts for referrals and through promo codes.

What Patients Are Saying
BetterHelp’s services have helped individuals and couples pursue healthier relationships from the comfort of their own homes. “It’s a great alternative to live counseling,” writes one client. “The counselor was patient and extremely helpful. Also having an outlet to just message someone can be beneficial.”

Couples Learn — Best Trial Option

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Choosing to pursue relationship counseling, or deciding if online versus in-person therapy is right for you and your partner can be challenging. Couples Learn helps make the process a little easier, with a free 30-minute consultation that gives potential clients a sneak peek at what the process of online relationship counseling is like.

For those that decide to pursue counseling with Couples Learn, there are three types of services available — online couples therapy, online individual therapy, and online premarital counseling.

Couples Learn’s couples therapy focuses on topics like conflict management and resolution, restructuring priorities, and rebuilding trust and intimacy after infidelity. Couples seeking premarital counseling through Couples Learn will get help establishing priorities and goals related to finances, kids, sex, and more. Single clients can pursue therapy through Couples Learn to develop skills for forming healthy relationships, while those in relationships can use individual therapy if their partner is unwilling or unable to join them.

This California-based practice has three therapists on staff, including licensed marriage and family therapists, and licensed clinical psychologists. Clients can select the therapist with whom they want to work, based on their availability. All online appointments are conducted via video chat. Clients do not need to be in the same physical location to meet with their Couples Learn therapist. Appointments through Couples Learn are available during daytime, evening, and weekend hours.

What Patients Are Saying
Clients praise Couples Learn for providing professional, insightful help with a variety of relationship issues. “This was my first time doing a virtual therapy session and I was surprised how connected I was able to feel,” says one client. I highly recommend [Couples Learn] to anyone looking to strengthen their partnership.”

The Relationship Suite — Best for ESL Speakers

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The Relationship Suite is a New York-based private practice that offers in-person therapy as well as online counseling and a relationship tool kit that couples can use on their own or in conjunction with therapy.

For clients that speak a language other than English, The Relationship Suite’s services are available in Spanish, French, Hebrew, and Farsi, making this an accessible platform for a broader range of users.

All Relationship Suite online counseling sessions are conducted via a HIPAA-compliant video platform, so clients do not need to be in the same location to meet with their therapist. The Relationship Suite offers evening and weekend appointments, to help clients fit their sessions into busy schedules.

The Relationship Suite’s staff includes licensed clinical social workers and licensed master’s social workers, and represents a variety of different counseling approaches, including Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), among others. The Relationship Suite’s staff is prepared to help clients with premarital counseling, marriage counseling, affair recovery therapy, blended family counseling, divorce counseling, and more.

For couples that want to work on their relationship issues without the support of a counselor, The Relationship Suite also offers the Relationship Tool Kit. This self-guided program includes audio recordings, lessons, and advice on how to address issues within the relationship, and develop new strategies for healthier communication and conflict resolution.

What Patients Are Saying
Clients recommend The Relationship Suite for teaching them how to be a better partner. According to one user, “You will learn practice and easy tools that you can start using right away to improve your relationship. You will understand what gets in the way of having a fulfilling relationship.”

ReGain — Most Flexible

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ReGain is a sister company of BetterHelp that focuses specifically on relationship counseling. Clients can use this platform either as a couple or individually to get assistance addressing common relationship issues like communication trust, intimacy, conflict, and more.

Clients start the process by answering initial questions about their relationship, the issues they want to address, and what their counselor preferences are. ReGain gives clients the option of signing up as a couple from the start, or starting individual therapy and inviting their partner to join at a later time.

If couples are participating in therapy together, they will share a joint account, in which all written communication is visible to both partners as well as the therapist. Live phone or video chat sessions with a therapist can be conducted via ReGain’s mobile app or website, and the ReGain platform supports three-way calls.

ReGain’s staff includes over 5,000 licensed clinical psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed professional counselors, licensed clinical social workers, and psychologists. Regardless of credentials, all ReGain therapists have experience and expertise in couples’ therapy.

A ReGain membership costs $60-$80 per week, based on clients’ income. ReGain does not accept insurance for its services.

What Patients Are Saying
ReGain clients like this app for providing quality counseling in a flexible format. “Our counselor is professional and knowledgeable,” writes one user. “She is also flexible and very responsive; we never have to wait long for her to respond. I have seen improvement in my relationship since using ReGain.”

MDLive — Best for Insurance Coverage

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MDLive is unique on our list in that it is a full-service telehealth platform that offers mental health care in addition to medical and dermatology services.

MDLive’s therapy services can be used by individuals or couples to address a variety of issues that affect relationships, including parenting, postpartum depression, grief and loss, stress, and more. MDLive charges a flat fee of $108 per therapy session, although since they do accept many major health insurances, the actual cost to clients can vary based on individual copays.

Users can check their insurance coverage when they sign up for an MDLive membership. It’s free to join, and the process usually takes about 15 minutes, including completing a questionnaire about your healthcare needs. Once you’re a member, you can schedule a session with one of MDLive’s licensed therapists by browsing the profiles of available providers, and selecting the one who you think is the best fit for you.

Appointments for new users are typically available within a few days of signing up. Clients can connect with their therapist via phone or video chat, accessible through MDLive’s website or their mobile app.

In addition to mental health care, an MDLive membership gives users access to on-demand care for urgent medical needs like colds, fevers, pinkeye, and more, as well as dermatologists who can treat rashes, acne, and other basic skincare needs.

What Patients Are Saying
MDLive clients overwhelmingly report having positive experiences with the services they receive through this platform. “MDLive makes it easy to set up an appointment, and our therapist was pleasant and helpful,” writes one user. “I would definitely use MDLive again, and recommend it to everyone.”

E-Therapy Cafe — Best for Short-Term Counseling

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E-Therapy Cafe was founded as a secure, user-friendly platform that would give people access to quality, compassionate counseling regardless of their location. Their team consists of 11 clinical therapists and life coaches who provide counseling services to a variety of patient populations, including military, LGBTQ+, and couples.

E-Therapy Cafe offers four different plans for relationship counseling. Clients can pay as they go, at a flat rate of $50 per session, or choose a subscription plan with three, five, or eight sessions. Although clients can renew their subscriptions, these packages may make E-Therapy Cafe an ideal option for couples who need a short-term solution to help them through a rough patch in their relationship. Those who aren’t sure if E-Therapy Cafe is the right platform for them can take advantage of a 30-minute trial session for only $35. Clients should also note that subscriptions expire 30 days after purchase, and any unused sessions do not roll over.

Regardless of whether clients pay as they go or choose a subscription plan, they have the option of communicating with their counselor via 30-minute video or live chats, or e-journal messaging. Clients can mix-and-match session types, based on their needs and schedule. All sessions are conducted through E-Therapy Cafe’s HIPAA-compliant website.

What Patients Are Saying
Clients who use E-Therapy Cafe praise the platform for providing comfort and convenience. “There is also something relaxing and intimate about being able to talk ‘face-to-face’ with a therapist from the comfort and privacy of your own home,” says one user. “I found the online scheduling system easy and empowering to use.”

Relationship Hero — Best Relationship Coaching

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Relationship Hero differs slightly from the other services on our list, in that they offer relationship coaching, which is not the same thing as relationship counseling.

Both approaches focus on helping couples achieve their goals for healthier, more satisfying relationships, although the methods by which they achieve those outcomes vary somewhat. Coaching services like Relationship Hero help clients by providing practical advice that can be applied right away, while therapeutic approaches are more rooted in psychology. While relationship coaching cannot help clients address underlying mental health conditions that may be affecting their relationships, it can teach couples new strategies for dealing with conflict, communication, trust, and other common relationship challenges.

Relationship Hero’s approach involves a few different options — private relationship coaching with their certified relationship coaches; master classes tailored towards specific needs and topics, and group coaching for additional support and perspectives. Their Couples Program gives clients access to integrative practice resources, an exclusive Facebook community for real-time support, and 24/7 access to a dedicated relationship coach, for unexpected situations or questions.

Clients can access Relationship Hero’s tools and services through their website, or their mobile app, which is available for iOS and Android. This allows clients to work on their skills and get help whenever they need it, regardless of location.

What Patients Are Saying
Relationship Hero clients praise the platform for helping them achieve new insights about their relationships. “Relationship Hero has been a great resource to help me understand how to navigate relationships,” writes one client. “My relationship coach is attentive, patient, and knowledgeable about the inner workings of relationships.”

IV. Online Relationship Counseling FAQs

What is online relationship counseling?

Relationship counseling, also known as couples therapy or marriage counseling, is an area of psychotherapy that specifically focuses on helping individuals in romantic partnerships improve those relationships. Couples can pursue relationship counseling at any point in a relationship, whether they are dating, engaged, or married.

Couples can use relationship counseling to address a wide range of interpersonal issues, including managing and resolving conflicts, improving communication, rebuilding trust after infidelity or other betrayals, aligning priorities and values, making decisions, and more.

With online relationship therapy, couples will communicate with their counselor synchronously, via live sessions conducted via phone or video, or asynchronously, via texts, emails, audio, or video messages.

Is online relationship counseling effective?

Regardless of whether counseling is delivered in-person or online, a key factor in its effectiveness is the client’s willingness to participate and work with their counselor.

Research into the effectiveness of online relationship counseling is limited. According to a study published in January 2020 in Frontiers in Psychology, couples who participated in online relationship counseling reported having a positive experience, and that they felt like they were effectively able to connect with their therapist via a video conferencing platform.

Other studies have shown that online platforms are an effective means of providing therapy to individuals, especially if they may not be able to access counseling through more traditional outlets.

What are the benefits of online relationship counseling?

Online relationship counseling means that clients don’t have to deal with hassles like traffic, parking, or childcare when scheduling appointments. Being able to speak to a counselor from any location means this is also an option for long-distance couples.

Talking to a counselor from the privacy of their own home may make couples feel more comfortable seeking help, and they may find it easier to open up in a familiar space.

Because online therapists don’t have the overhead of a brick-and-mortar location, these services are often available at a lower price point.

How much does online relationship counseling cost?

As with in-person therapy, the cost of online relationship counseling varies depending on the platform, pricing model, and the provider’s level of education and training.

Across the teletherapy industry, subscription-based services typically cost between $60-$100 per week, although this is usually billed monthly. Depending on the platform, this price can include live sessions with a counselor, as well as messaging in between scheduled appointments.

Other services charge clients a flat per-session fee, much like in-person therapy. These rates typically range from $65-$175, with doctoral-level psychologists charging the highest fees.

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LCSW

Caitlin Kingston is a licensed clinical social worker at Yale New Haven Hospital and has worked in the field since 2013. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Penn State University and her Master of Social Work, clinical/medical social work in 2020 from Fordham University. Her licenses and certifications include LCSW, LMSW, and CASAC.

Kingston has always had a passion for helping others and knew early on that she wanted to support others in her profession. During her undergraduate studies at Penn State, she met a social worker who inspired her to pursue a career as a therapist. She’s also trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with the New York School for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. Kingston completed internships working in an after-school program with underprivileged youth and their families and with inmates in the high-security sector of Rikers Island jail.

Kingston’s career has included work at a drug treatment center, where she became the supervisor of intake and assessment for individuals with alcohol and substance use disorders. Today, she’s a social worker in the Psychiatric Observation Unit of the emergency department. Kingston is also trained in perinatal mental health with a focus on helping new mothers adjust to motherhood, especially in these very difficult times of isolation.

author-img
LCSW

Caitlin Kingston is a licensed clinical social worker at Yale New Haven Hospital and has worked in the field since 2013. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Penn State University and her Master of Social Work, clinical/medical social work in 2020 from Fordham University. Her licenses and certifications include LCSW, LMSW, and CASAC.

Kingston has always had a passion for helping others and knew early on that she wanted to support others in her profession. During her undergraduate studies at Penn State, she met a social worker who inspired her to pursue a career as a therapist. She’s also trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with the New York School for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. Kingston completed internships working in an after-school program with underprivileged youth and their families and with inmates in the high-security sector of Rikers Island jail.

Kingston’s career has included work at a drug treatment center, where she became the supervisor of intake and assessment for individuals with alcohol and substance use disorders. Today, she’s a social worker in the Psychiatric Observation Unit of the emergency department. Kingston is also trained in perinatal mental health with a focus on helping new mothers adjust to motherhood, especially in these very difficult times of isolation.