Jim and Jenny have trouble finding someone to watch their children. They have a lot of trouble communicating but child care, finding a therapist with flexible hours and coming up with the money for everything is very expensive. Online couples counseling may be the answer for Jim and Jenny.

Ann and John live in a rural community and have few qualified marriage counselors around. Online couples counseling may be the answer for Ann and John.

Steve is a police officer on third shift and Lucy works first shift. This is the easiest way to care for the children but leaves little time to talk about some of their concerns. Online couples counseling may be the answer for Steve and Lucy.

Tony is stationed in Iraq and Sandy is stateside with their children. They have some tough things to talk about that really should not wait until Tony gets home 6 months from now. Online couples counseling may be the answer for Tony and Sandy.

All four of these couples want to get some help for their marriage but lots of things stand in the way of getting the help that they want. For each of them, online couples counseling may be a good place to receive help for their marriage.

Online couples counseling can be an invaluable tool for some couples. A competent, licensed, professional marriage counselor can share practical suggestions  that might include homework of reading, tests or exercises, conversations to have with each other, suggested downloads or audios, watching videos or movies.

While working online through email, chat or phone might seem awkward or uncomfortable for some, it seems very natural for others. For couples who might not have the ability to get to a good and experienced therapist, it offers the opportunity to develop a better understanding of themselves and their relationship and learn new ways of working together that can help them solve difficult problems.

How Does Online Couples Counseling Work?

There are several ways that we provide online marriage counseling through Counseling Relationships Online. We provide relationship help through email, chat or by phone (with or without a video camera).

With email online couples counseling, we will want to work with both people at the same time, while possibly asking for one or two private individual emails.

Partners each take turns emailing one of us. We will then respond openly in an email to both partners addressing the concerns. Once we have a handle on your particular problem and what you would like to achieve, then the we can begin to offer

ideas to help you move out of a “stuck spot” and back to a healthier place.

Online couples counseling through email exchanges continues in this manner until you feel that you are at a better spot or have resolved the problem that you began with.

The benefits of email therapy, for online couples counseling, are that it can be as short or enduring as you would like. As we address issues, you may decide you want to "go deeper" and we can easily do that by continuing with email or even adding chat sessions to the mix.

The point is, you are in the driver's seat. If one email gives you the information you need to resolve the presenting problem, that is great! If you think that you want several emails, you may choose to purchase a package.

Online couples counseling through chat involves email but with the added advantage of instant replies and ongoing conversation. If you are interested in this form if therapy, we will invite you to log on to a secure chat room where we can exchange emails about your questions and concerns.

Through online couples phone counseling, with or without a video camera, we have the opportunity to talk in real time about your concerns. With a phone session, you can be in the privacy and comfort of your own home or private space and consult with a professional therapist who can help you determine a direction to take to begin solving your problems. Together, we will arrange for a protected and encrypted phone line.

So how does online couples counseling work?

You may be wondering if online counseling can help any problem that couples experience. The answer is that nothing works for everyone but this can be a very effective way to help many with some of the typical problems that couples experience.

You are not alone and we have helped a lot of people with a lot of problems. There are not many problems that we have not seen. We have been doing this, successfully, for very many years.

We will briefly talk about some of the problems we have seen and helped couples work through.

Communication difficulties is one problem that we see a lot. Couples lose touch with each other and what is happening in their lives. When that happens, misunderstandings often occur which can lead to frustration, hurt and anger. With email counseling, in particular, people often have the ability to be more open and direct about what they want, like and dislike.

Resolving conflict is a struggle that many couples face. Some are better at talking out loud about problems, many are not. Avoiding conflict or starting in ways destined to fail happen in lots of relationships. We can offer practical strategies for couples who want to learn how to resolve conflict.

Affairs are traumatic for couples; however, they can be worked through and many couples come away from counseling with us saying that their marriage is even better than before the affair. Somehow, the affair was a “wake-up call” for them and their relationship.

Feelings of falling out of love happen in many relationships, and it happens for a variety of reasons. We have helped others learn how to work through and change their feelings.

Resolving ambivalence about marriage is also a problem that we see in our office and online. This is a very normal feeling and happens for many reasons, some of which are often related to the normal growing stages of a marriage.

We have also worked with “half of a couple” and are available to help you develop strategies for living with and helping a spouse who has problems with issues such as alcohol, depression and staying faithful in a marriage. We know, and hopefully you do as well, that you cannot change another person. There are ways, however, to think, talk and act differently around a problem experienced by another. When you change, so do others around you.

We Answer Questions About Online Couples Counseling

How can it work if only one person is willing to get help?
It only takes one tango dancer to change the dance step. While things will go much more quickly if both people are “customers for change” and recognize their own part in problems, one person can make changes that affect the other.

Can online couples counseling be effective?
The short answer is “yes”. There are strategies, skills and homework assignments that we can share with you that will help you two learn new ways of relating to each other and solving problems.

The ideas that we have to help you are based on many years of helping couples work through their problems. We read a lot and attend seminars on the best ways to help couples so we stay current with what works and can direct you in the best way to find solutions to your particular situation.

How do you find the best online couples therapist?

We are highly experienced and professional therapists. We are members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and are Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists in the state of Kentucky. Both of those credentials indicate a lot of knowledge and experience with couple work.

When seeking therapists who are qualified to help you with your problem, you will want to find someone who has the same credentials that we have.

How Can Online Couples Counseling Be Confidential?
Questions that we often receive are: How can you help me with my problems over the internet? Isn’t it possible for anyone to see what we are writing to each other or talking about over the phone?

While, from our end, we make sure that our communication and case records are confidential by using encryption over our phone or email system, you will have to care for things on your end.

You will want to make sure that you are the only one(s) who have access to your half of the conversation. We will provide you with suggestions for how to make that happen.

Want to find out more about online couples counseling?
Contact us.  We will be glad to talk more with you about this alternative way to receive help for your relationship.

Click here to go directly to our enrollment page.