Best Premarital Counseling

We appreciate the unique blend of both in-person coaching and self-guided couples sessions that Ours offers. Founded in 2020 by Jessica Holton, Adam Putterman, and relationship therapist Elizabeth Earnshaw, LMFT, CGT, the program is unlike any other premarital course online. After filling out some initial questionnaires about what they’re hoping to get out of premarital counseling, each couple is matched with a “guide,” an appropriately educated and/or licensed professional, who they will meet with before beginning the self-guided portion of the program. 

During this initial meeting, the guide will ask questions to really get to know the pair and develop a tailored road map that includes four videos (lasting around one hour each) for the couple to work through. The guide will continue to check in with the couple with messages, activities, and challenges, as they make their way through the plan. Once the pair have finished the sessions, they have a final meeting with their guide before completing the program.

Couples who are ready to go all in with Ours can sign up for the whole program up front for $400. Those who aren’t quite sure if it’s right for them can purchase a two-session trial for $50, then pay $450 if they want to continue. At this time Ours does not accept insurance.

In our survey, 79% of users said they had a positive experience with Ours, and 78% said the program met all or most of their needs. Sixty-one percent said they were likely or very likely to recommend the service to a friend or loved one. Additionally, the majority of users found the program, as well as the website, easy to navigate, and 84% felt their guide was qualified. One of our reviewers really clicked with their guide, and would use the program again in the future.

While anyone can sign up to use Wellnite, the platform is best for engaged couples who are looking for premarital counseling that will touch on deeper issues, such as family planning. Wellnite was founded in 2019 as a way to make mental health care more affordable and accessible for all. Today, it provides services to patients across 40 states and offers therapy for multiple conditions including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and more, as well as the couples-focused therapy we find most noteworthy for this list

Wellnite happens to have some of the least expensive out-of-pocket costs of the companies we evaluated, so it’s great for couples on a budget. It also offers a sliding fee scale for those who qualify, and works with certain insurance companies to help make sessions more affordable. However, couples counseling often isn’t covered by insurance plans. 

Counselors at Wellnite offer couples counseling alongside individual therapy, meaning you each meet with the therapist on your own. It’s an especially great option for couples looking for targeted guidance, such as navigating finances when one person is bringing a lot of debt into the marriage, or doing the extra work to ensure a partner with divorced parents feels safe and confident in the relationship.

Wellnite has several different membership plans and payment options, which means it’s accessible to more people. The Medical Care + Therapy plan includes two 30-minute sessions or one 60-minute session per month for as low as $159 per month. The Therapy plan includes six 30-minute sessions, four 45-minute sessions, or three 60-minute sessions per month for as low as $292 per month. 

Wellnite also works with PPO insurance companies to provide reimbursement for services covered, and offers sliding scale payment options for those who qualify (however, you’ll have to call the onboarding team to determine eligibility).

Of 105 users surveyed, 80% said their overall experience with Wellnite was positive, and 75% said the provider they were matched with met all of their needs. Seventy-three percent said the service was a good value for the money, and 47% said it was affordable or very affordable.

Founded in 2016, E-Therapy Cafe takes a personalized approach to couples counseling, coaching, and therapy. What makes E-Therapy Cafe especially great for engaged couples is that, in addition to offering traditional couples counseling (which is great for couples who have deeper issues to work through), it also has wedding coaching services. 

Each client's treatment plan is uniquely tailored to their circumstances—and that includes specific coaching around all the issues that can arise when you’re planning a wedding. Some of the common areas of wedding stress that E-Therapy Cafe coaches cover include budget concerns and conversations, how to navigate family conflict during the planning process as well as on the big day, challenging guest issues, the general anxiety and emotional ups and downs that come with planning a wedding, and the post-wedding crash many couples experience. 

Planning a wedding is extremely stressful, and this program is a fantastic tool that will help make the process feel a little more manageable.

E-Therapy Cafe offers a one-time trial for $50 that includes one 30-minute therapy session (chat or video) and a 700-word e-journal entry that includes a response from your therapist. After the trial, you can choose from three plans: 

• E-Therapy SHOT, a pay-as-you-go option for $55 (choose a live chat or video session or a journal entry)
• E-Therapy FOUR, which includes four sessions (chat, video, or journal) for $196 per month
• E-Therapy EIGHT, which includes eight sessions (chat, video, or journal) for $360 per month 

When choosing a plan, it’s important to know that each session is 30 minutes long (so if you want a one-hour appointment, you’ll need to stack two sessions together), and sessions don’t roll over—they expire 30 days from payment if you don't use them.

In our survey, 94% of users reported having a positive experience when using E-Therapy Cafe and 90% rated therapist qualifications as good, very good, or excellent. Eighty-two percent said they were likely or very likely to recommend E-Therapy Cafe to a friend. One of our reviewers had a generally good experience with their counselor, but felt the sessions could be longer to help get to the bottom of issues.

Growing Self is an online counseling service that specifically works with patients to find “love, happiness, and success.” While most premarital counseling services and programs put an emphasis on strengthening communication, we think Growing Self is the best at it because the counselors specialize in what helps make a relationship work, and good communication is a pilar of that. 

The Denver-based practice was founded in 2005 by Lisa Marie Bobby, PhD, LMFT, who still runs the practice today. It offers in-person counseling and therapy to local patients as well as online therapy to those outside the Denver area.

Couples who are looking for online premarital counseling have three options at Growing Self: traditional premarital counseling, pre-engagement counseling, or the Lifetime of Love premarital course. Each program is designed to help couples identify their strengths and areas of growth, share and manage expectations with each other, build healthy communication skills that will last throughout their relationship, develop ways to stay connected as the years go by, learn how to work as a team, and more. Additionally, for couples who are looking for more in-depth therapy, Growing Self also offers more traditional couples therapy, which really just means working on your relationship in a longer, potentially open-ended way.

Growing Self’s mission is to make relationship counseling (marriage, couples, premarital, etc.) as accessible and affordable as possible. While it is not in-network with any insurance provider, for patients who do meet the qualifications to have relationship counseling covered by insurance, they will submit an out-of-network reimbursement claim on the patient’s behalf. 

Each new patient gets a free consultation with a counselor to determine if they are the right fit. From there, the cost of individual 45-minute counseling sessions can range anywhere from $65 to $160. Prices are based on each therapist’s experience, and there is a sliding scale available for patients who meet the practice’s requirements. A session with an early-career provider is $109 (as low as $65 on a sliding scale), $115 for a master’s level provider (as low as $75 on a sliding scale), advanced level provider sessions are priced at $135 (as low as $95 on a sliding scale), and doctoral level provider sessions are $160 each (no sliding scale option). Patients pay as they go and do not have to sign up for a membership. 

Growing Self received favorable feedback from respondents in our survey, with 90% saying their overall experience with the practice was positive. Additionally, 68% of users said their provider met all or most of their needs, and 89% felt their counselor’s qualifications were good, very good, or excellent. One of our reviewers had a positive experience with two different counselors on Growing Self, and would recommend it to others.

Couples preparing for marriage are often very busy, so texting with a therapist rather than attending weekly counseling sessions may be the only way they’re able to address their mental health before their wedding. As an offshoot of BetterHelp, ReGain is a therapy platform that is specifically focused on individual and couples counseling. Its providers are trained in all areas of couples counseling—including premarital. Couples who sign up for ReGain get to meet with their provider once a week and message them as much as they would like to between sessions, which is great for busy people.

Couples set up a shared account on ReGain that allows them both to access live sessions from wherever they are. Between sessions, each person can message the counselor separately, but the thread is visible to both of them. In general, therapists are very responsive, but there is no specific time frame in which they must respond, so response time can vary. 

In order to use ReGain for premarital counseling, couples will have to sign up for a membership, but it’s very straightforward. Couples are charged weekly for their session (and subsequent messaging) and billed every four weeks (though you can opt to pay quarterly instead). Once you’ve reached your goals as a couple, simply cancel your membership before your next billing cycle and you’re all set—quick and easy.

Counseling through ReGain costs between $60 to $90 per week, but the exact cost depends on your location, preferences, and therapist availability (ReGain practices surge pricing in places where therapists are limited). Members can choose to pay every four weeks or quarterly and are able to cancel the membership at any time. At this time, ReGain does not partner with any insurance companies.

ReGain is another top performer in our user survey, with 77% of respondents saying their overall experience with the platform was positive. Additionally, 80% of users said their therapist at ReGain met all or most of their needs, and 71% said they’d recommend the platform to a friend. Eighty percent said ReGain was a good value for the money.

For LGBTQIA+ couples looking for online premarital counseling options, we love Inclusive Therapists. The directory helps users connect with providers from all over the country who celebrate diversity and offer a safe space for any person, no matter their background or identity, to get the support they need—including relationship support. 

The directory was founded by Melody Li, LMFT, who identifies as a queer migrant of color. They personally struggled to find a therapist who understood them, and realized this was a problem that stretched into all marginalized communities, so they wanted to make it easier for people to find safe providers. 

Couples who are seeking premarital counseling can use Inclusive Therapists to search for qualified providers in their area, or they can ask the organization to match them with one of its vetted providers instead. There are over 3,800 therapists on the directory, all of whom must agree to the inclusivity message to join, so odds are high you’ll find someone that works for you and your partner.

Inclusive Therapists does not charge people seeking counseling to use the platform, and counselor rates vary based on location and expertise (some offer sliding scale rates). Some counselors accept insurance, but not all, and couples counselors who see partners together typically don’t.

When asked about their overall experience using Inclusive Therapists, 89% of survey respondents said it was either very good or excellent. Additionally, 84% found the website itself either easy or very easy to navigate, and 67% said they were able to find a therapist that met their needs through the platform. One of our reviewers said Inclusive Therapists has the most inclusive search filters they’d ever come across.

Not every couple feels like they’d benefit from premarital counseling with a coach, counselor, or therapist, and Happily Ever After was made for them. It’s a self-guided premarital course that consists of several videos couples can work through together to help strengthen their bond, build communication skills, and prepare for some of the challenges that are likely to come up over the years. 

The online course was created by Casey and Meygan Caston, founders of the non-profit organization Marriage 365. After working through the difficult first few years of their marriage, the couple wanted to help others feel better equipped to face marital challenges as a team. 

Upon purchasing the course, couples decide the order in which they watch the various videos; there is no timeline they need to stick to as they make their way through each video. Many of the video sessions also come with a worksheet for partners to fill out together to enhance the experience. Everything can be accessed on the website or via an app that’s available on iOS and Android devices. Happily Ever After does have live relationship coaching available as well, though providers are limited and these sessions come at an additional cost that’s separate from the course.

The Happily Ever After course is a flat rate of $97. Couples who purchase the course have lifetime access, allowing them to revisit the videos at any point in the future when they feel like their relationship could use a refresher. There are a limited number of relationship coaches available, and each one charges a different amount for a counseling session of counseling, ranging from $95 to $360 depending on the length of the session (30 or 60 minutes) and the experience of the provider.

Happily Ever After users were not included in our survey, but testimonials on the website are  favorable, and the course has been featured on numerous “best of” lists. “Self-guided resources like this can be helpful for practicing and strengthening skills that might benefit your relationship, such as problem-solving and active listening,” says Hannah Owens, LMSW, a subject matter expert. “But a course like this is best used in conjunction with couples or relationship therapy with a licensed mental health professional, where you can examine your relationship and those skills together in a guided and safe space. This is especially true,” she adds, “if there are more serious issues in your relationship, such as infidelity or abuse.”

Amwell is a large platform that offers online therapy to individuals and couples across the United States. We think it’s great for anyone, particularly parents who are blending their families and seeking premarital counseling, because it offers couples as well as family counseling. Family counseling may be key to address conflicts that might crop up when lives converge as a unit, rather than letting them fester and create rifts down the road. 

Amwell it an all-encompassing telehealth company founded in 2006. It has a huge directory of providers across a variety of specialties including urgent care, women’s health, breastfeeding, psychiatry, mental health, and more. 

Some of the areas of practice listed in Amwell’s online therapy section include stress management, life transitions, LGBTQ+ counseling, trauma, and more. Couples who are coming into their partnership with children from previous relationships have different challenges to consider in premarital counseling than couples who don’t already have children. Since Amwell’s providers are specialized in a variety of areas, and the platform has such a wide spectrum of available providers, couples are more likely to find a counselor or therapist that can meet their family’s unique needs.

Unlike a lot of therapy platforms, Amwell does not require a membership or subscription in order to see a provider. It offer pay-as-you-go pricing where patients pay $109 for a 45-minute session with a master’s level provider or $129 for a 45-minute session with a doctoral-level therapist. If you have insurance with counseling or therapy benefits, Amwell is in-network with 126 plans.

In our survey, 88% of users reported having a positive experience with Amwell and 86% said their therapist met all or most of their needs. Seventy-eight percent of respondents said it was either likely or very likely they’d refer Amwell to a friend, and 91% rated their counselor’s qualifications positively.

Many couples about to get married are looking for less structured therapy because therapy can be time-consuming. That’s where Relationship Hero comes in—it’s a platform full of relationship coaches who are trained and certified to help couples navigate their partnerships and strengthen their bonds all without the added formality of traditional therapy. 

Relationship Hero was founded in 2017 in order to provide clients with actionable advice to help them improve their partnership, as opposed to therapy where providers often refrain from giving advice. 

We love that every couple is matched with a coach based on their unique needs and goals. Once matched, couples can opt to meet their coach via video, phone, or live chat. Coaches at Relationship Hero develop tailored plans to help each couple reach their goals and find success in their relationship, either before or after they say “I do.” Additionally, unlike a lot of therapy platforms, coaches are available 24/7, so clients can message their coach with questions at any time as needed (though response time may vary).

Relationship Hero requires a subscription, but it can be canceled at any time for any reason. Coaches charge clients an hourly rate, which can range from $80 to $250 (the exact cost varies by coach). At this time, the platform is not in-network with any insurance providers, but it will provide receipts for clients to submit to their insurance carrier for reimbursement.

Relationship Hero users were not included in our survey, but prospective clients can read real-life reviews online. “If you or your partner are looking for practical solutions to problems like communication, rather than deeper issues from your past or in the relationship, then a relationship coach might be a good solution,” says Owens. “A coach will be able to address skills and techniques to strengthen aspects of your relationship. However, if there are more serious underlying problems to address, such as mental illness or abuse, it is better to seek the help of a licensed mental health professional.”

Couples who want to find a good premarital therapist or counselor quickly and efficiently will benefit from the online directory Good Therapy. Good Therapy was founded in 2007 with a mission to create a network of mental health providers who put their clients' needs first. The directory is free for therapy seekers to use and offers comprehensive provider profiles as well as contact information to help patients match with a therapist that meets their needs. 

The platform has a massive listing of providers in cities across the United States who specialize in all different types of therapy and areas of focus, including couples counseling. To find a provider, you simply need to enter your zip code in the search bar on the home page. Once initial results show up, you can then refine your search based on specialty, availability, proximity, and more. 

Good Therapy does not charge prospective clients to use its directory. Providers who are listed in the directory are independent and have their own pricing structure (which may or may not be available to review in their Good Therapy profile).

Good Therapy received high marks from users in our survey, with 98% saying they were able to find a provider who met most or all of their needs. Similarly, 95% of users rated the directory as either good or very good overall, and 86% said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the counselor options they found in this directory.