First, we define couples counselling. Couples counselling is when two people in a relationship seek help—this could be a marriage, a boyfriend or girlfriend, someone in a longer-term partnership, gay and lesbian couples, or those considering polyamorous relationships.

How We Offer Affordable Couples Counselling

At Best Online Therapy, we offer couples counselling at affordable rates. As mentioned in our article on affordable online counselling, our rates are for working purely online.

We started our practice several years ago, first in New Zealand and now in the UK, specialising in working with couples. In our online couples counselling sessions, we use a variety of therapies, such as:

1. Intimacy from the Inside Out Counselling (IFIO), how you relate within (different parts of yourself) to be able to be intimate with your close relationships. 
2. Internal Family Systems (IFS). Understanding internal functioning helps you become aware of how you relate to others.
3. Gottman’s Method for Couples Counselling. Using a house analogy to get to a place of trust and compassion for your loved one.
4. Gestalt Psychotherapy. Looking holistically at your relationship to better understand yourself and your partner.
5. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. How thinking and emotions affect your relationship.
6. Dialectic Behaviour Therapy. Focus on communication and relating to others.

We also incorporate mindfulness practices, with a focus on communication skills, because couples often come to us with their communication issues. Mastering communication is vital for healthy relationships. It is also essential to learn to resolve conflicts and better control emotions. Hence, emotional regulation is especially crucial in couples therapy.

What Happens During Couples Sessions

When clients inform us that they can’t afford the fee, we are happy to negotiate and discuss the most affordable rate before starting the sessions. We negotiate a time that suits our clients best—whether they prefer a longer session, like 80 minutes, or a shorter one, such as 50 minutes. We believe therapy can still be very effective even with shorter sessions. Our counsellors tend to give clients more homework to try out between sessions. This allows them to practice new skills and make the most of time in therapy and outside of it.

During our sessions, we explore what may be causing couples’ difficulties and provide coaching to help them develop a plan to improve their relationship. We discuss what is most likely to trigger problems and work on solutions. With a budget-conscious client, we will work to reduce the number of sessions and provide more homework to optimise therapy time.

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