The Best Online Couples Therapy for Parents

Best Overall: ReGain

Key Specs  

• Price: $240–$360+ per month 
• Insurance Accepted? No
• Types of Therapy: Couples, individual 

Why We Chose It

ReGain is designed specifically for supporting relationships and offers 12,000 clinicians across 50 states. It also offers a combination of live sessions and messaging.

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

ReGain is one of a handful of online therapy platforms created specifically for relationships. It offers support for couples and individuals (you can attend without your partner if needed, or even if you’re single) who want to tackle relationship issues such as communication, intimacy, or conflict with a licensed couples counselor. Intimacy can be difficult for parents to find once there's a baby and the focus and energy go to a child. Whether you’re trying to build intimacy with your partner of decades or work on unhealthy dynamics as you’re dating, ReGain can help.

Getting started at ReGain is quick and easy. After filling out a 10-minute questionnaire, you’ll be matched with a counselor within a few hours to days. You don’t have the option to select your own therapist initially, but if you’re unhappy with your match, you can easily request to be matched with a new therapist, based on the filter preferences you use in your search. And you’ll be choosing from a large network: ReGain has 12,000 clinicians who use a variety of modalities including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic, and trauma-focused.

Therapy at ReGain is easy to fit into a busy schedule: Sessions are 30 to 40 minutes long and take place over live video, audio, or chat. If attending via video or audio, you can join from a different location than your partner if needed. In addition to live sessions, you’ll also have 24/7 messaging, which comes in handy if issues arise throughout the week.

Plans & Prices 

ReGain’s prices vary based on location, preferences, and therapist availability, but you can expect to pay between $240 and $360+ per month. This gets you live sessions plus messaging. You will be billed every four weeks. ReGain doesn’t accept insurance.

User Satisfaction  

ReGain performed well overall in our user survey: Eighty percent said their therapist satisfied all or most of their needs, compared to a 77% average. Fifty-five percent said the therapist sign-up process was very easy, compared to a 33% average, and 88% would rate their therapist’s qualifications as generally positive, compared to an 84% average.

Best for Improving Communication: Growing Self

Key Specs

• Price: $65 to $160 per session 
• Insurance Accepted? No
• Types of Therapy: Couples, individual

Why We Chose It 

Growing Self is a platform devoted almost exclusively to relationship counseling. Its counselors use a variety of approaches to improving couples’ communication. 

Pros & Cons

Overview 

Growing Self is a platform that focuses on relationship counseling. It's designed to help couples and individuals work on the relationship issues and experiences that affect them the most, such as tackling finances together, preparing for a new baby, or perhaps most importantly, improving communication, a factor that influences almost every aspect of a partnership.

There are so many ways communication rifts can happen, and each therapist approaches them differently. Those at Growing Self use diverse modalities like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Internal Family Systems, among many others, to help couples resolve issues and take steps to prevent them. The platform is also big on psychoeducation—it offers resources like the "A Lifetime of Love" Premarital Course", a quiz, and helpful articles.

Sessions at Growing Self are held over live video and are 45 minutes long. You won’t have the option for messaging between sessions unless it has to do with logistics, such as scheduling.

Plans & Prices

Growing Self isn’t a subscription-based service and doesn’t accept insurance. Therapy costs $65 to $160 per 45-minute session, depending on the experience level of the therapist. 

• Doctorate-level therapists charge $160 per session but may offer some sliding scale rates.
• Advanced-level therapists charge $135 per session but may offer sliding scale rates as low as $95.
• Pre-licensed therapists with Master’s degrees charge $115 per session, with sliding scale rates as low as $75.
• Pre-licensed, recent graduates charge $105 per session, with sliding scale rates as low as $65.

User Satisfaction

Growing Self performed well overall with 90% rating it positively overall, compared to an 84% average. Eighty-nine percent rated therapist qualifications positively, compared to an 84% average, and 62% said they would start their search there again if needed, compared to a 59% average.

Best for Parenting Issues: Amwell

Key Specs

• Price: $109 to $279 per session without insurance
• Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Types of Therapy: Couples, family, individual, medication management, psychiatry, teen, kids

Why We Chose It 

Amwell has counselors who specialize in parenting issues and how they affect couples. It also offers kids and family therapy, plus psychiatry and medication management, making it a convenient one-stop platform for all your needs.

Pros & Cons 

Overview

Amwell is one of the largest telemedicine platforms out there. When it comes to mental health, it serves a wide range of needs, from treating anxiety to addressing trauma to helping couples with kids. It’s also flexible and accessible: It offers a pay-as-you-go system, accepts insurance, offers psychiatry, and treats a wide age range of age demographics (kids ages 10 and up, though the availability of kids' therapists varies).

Unlike many other platforms, you can choose your own therapist at Amwell. This is important for parents as many therapists aren’t trained in treating kids (should you choose to opt for family therapy) or in addressing parenting-specific issues in a couples session. Having the option to choose a practitioner right off the bat increases the chances of finding someone who aligns with you, your spouse, and your parenting goals. 

Sessions are 45 minutes long and held over live video only. Since Amwell accepts insurance, it’s more likely to be cost-effective, which is important when you have the added expenses that come with kids. The pay-as-you-go system is also a big benefit; you can slow down or even pause sessions when life gets busy or if family expenses are running high.

Plans & Prices

Amwell doesn’t offer a subscription service and is a pay-as-you-go system. Rates vary based on your therapist’s level of education and type of session:

• Therapist with Master’s degree: $109 per session
• Therapist with PhD: $129 per session
• Initial psychiatric visit: $279 
• Follow-up psychiatric sessions: $109 per session

It accepts over 126 insurance plans—the largest number on this list. 

User Satisfaction

Amwell performed well across the board in our user survey: Eighty-eight percent rated it positively overall, compared to an 84% average. Seventy percent would start their search at Amwell again if needed, compared to a 59% average, and 86% said their provider fulfilled all or most of their needs, compared to a 77% average. Eighty-eight percent said the services were a good value for the cost.

Best for LGBTQIA Couples: National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network

Key Specs

• Price: Depends on provider
• Insurance Accepted? Yes, depending on provider
• Types of Therapy: Couples, family, group, individual, teens, psychiatry/medication management

Why We Chose It

The National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) is a nonprofit health justice organization and therapist directory. All clinicians commit to NQTTCN’s values of inclusivity when they join, making it a safe space for LGBTQA+ married couples.

Pros & Cons

Overview 

The National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) has an impressive mission. As a nonprofit health justice organization, it strives to make mental health support accessible and inclusive for marginalized communities that may have been pathologized or excluded by traditional health care systems. Not only does it serve as a therapist directory, but it’s also a community hub for QTPoC (queer and trans people of color) of all kinds to deepen their ability to serve these populations (though you do not need to identify as a PoC to use it).

As it’s a directory, therapy-seekers can search for and connect with clinicians on their own. The bios of providers are clear and easy to follow, offering helpful information about the types of counseling offered (including family counseling), a wide variety of treatment approaches, specialties, and more. All therapists have agreed to the statement of community care, which includes guidelines for providing culturally inclusive LGBTQA+ care. 

Plans & Prices

There are no subscriptions or set prices at NQTTCN. Session rates, lengths, formats, and frequency will vary according to the provider. Therapists are available in 30 states plus D.C. and parts of Canada.

User Satisfaction

NQTTCN has excellent user satisfaction overall: Ninety-one percent rated their therapist’s qualifications as generally positive, compared to an 84% average. Forty-three percent said it was more LGBTQA+ affirmative than services used in the past, compared to a 23% average, and 99% of users were able to find a provider who met all or most of their needs.

Best Grief Counseling: Thriveworks

Key Specs

• Price: Varies by provider and starts at $99 per session without insurance
• Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Types of Therapy: Couples, family, group, individual, teens, medication management, psychiatry

Why We Chose It

Thriveworks offers therapy for couples whose relationships are affected by grief, whether it’s the loss of a pregnancy, a parent, or a child.

Pros & Cons

Overview

Thriveworks is an online counseling platform that treats a wide range of mental health issues online or at one of its 380 in-person locations across the country. It features experienced couples counselors who can support you through times of loss. This is important for relationships because when tragedy strikes, it can profoundly affect our closest relationships. Getting couples counseling during times of loss can help you navigate challenges without compromising your connection.

Whether you and your partner are facing the loss of a pregnancy, a parent, or are experiencing another major life change, grief therapists at Thriveworks can guide you through it via numerous modalities. These include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) among others. Thriveworks offers family and child therapy. too, so if you need to get the kids involved, you can easily do so. Sessions at Thriveworks take place in person or over live audio or video chat. 

Plans & Prices

Thriveworks accepts insurance and has a pay-per-session system. Rates vary according to the provider but start at $99 per session without insurance. 

User Satisfaction

Thriveworks performs well overall among users: Ninety percent rated it generally positively, compared to an 84% average. Fifty percent said it was likely that they’d be seeing the same therapist in 12 months, compared to a 40% average. Eighty-eight percent rated therapist qualifications as generally positive, compared to an 84% average.

Most Budget-Friendly: Wellnite

Key Specs

• Price: $450 per month, up to $3,510 per year 
• Insurance Accepted? Yes
• Types of Therapy: Couples, individuals, teens, families, medication management 

Why We Chose It

Wellnite offers affordable couples counseling plus teens and family therapy if you need to get the kids involved. It offers a good value for the price and accepts insurance.

Pros & Cons 

Overview

Wellnite is a solid budget online counseling platform that may help parents who are looking for counseling for the whole family. It treats a range of issues for couples (alongside individuals and teens), plus it offers psychiatry services such as medication management, although that’s typically reserved for people willing to do longer-term therapy.

It’s known for being accessible and flexible: You can choose between short sessions more frequently or longer sessions less frequently, plus you can pay for sessions in bundles at a discounted rate. While it’s not among our highest-scoring platforms with our surveyed users, it does a lot for the price.

Couples counselors at Wellnite use one primary modality: cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) which addresses challenging negative thought patterns and behaviors that get in the way of relationship harmony. It’s one of the most well-researched and well-supported approaches available. While the single approach isn't for everyone, if it does work for you and you like your counselor, consider buying a bundle, as that’s how you’ll get the most for your money.

Plans & Prices

Wellnite offers discounts when you pay ahead. Bi-annual or annual payments will be lower than monthly payments. You can opt for therapy, psychiatry/medication management, or a combination of both. 

Couples will most likely opt for stand-alone therapy, which costs $450 per month charged monthly, $360 per month charged bi-annually, or $292.50 per month if charged annually. This gets you six 30-minute live sessions, four 45-minute live sessions, or three 60-minute live sessions per month.

User Satisfaction

User satisfaction is good, though not top-tier, which is to be expected in a budget therapy service. Eighty percent of users rated it positively, which is somewhat below the 84% average. Seventy-five percent said most or all of their needs were met, compared to a 77% average and 81% rated their therapist’s qualifications positively, compared to an 84% average. Finally, 87% said the service was a good to excellent value for the money, compared to a 78% average.

Best for Postpartum Depression: Hers Therapy

Key Specs

• Price: $99 per session
• Insurance Accepted? No
• Types of Therapy: Individual, medication management

Why We Chose It 

If you're looking for a service that specializes in treating birthing parents for postpartum depression, Hers Therapy stands out. Not only can you find affordably priced individual therapy, but you can also get medication sent right to your door if you need it.

Pros & Cons

Overview

Postpartum depression can be a very trying experience for a birthing parent—and the whole family. When what “should'' be a happy time just isn’t, both partners can experience the strain. Hers Therapy—an online counseling, medication, and supplement service for women led by doctors and therapists—can help by offering individual counseling for those experiencing postpartum depression. While it's not couples counseling, individual counseling at Hers can help support a healthy relationship during a challenging time. 

Hers therapists offer 50-minute live video sessions and are trained in a variety of modalities that bring relief from depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, and more. Doctors at Hers are well-versed in treating postpartum depression alongside other mental health concerns with medications and even supplements, like their calming adaptogenic herbal drops. If you do opt for those services, you’ll have your meds delivered straight to your door.

Plans & Prices

Hers Therapy doesn’t require a subscription. All sessions cost $99 (paid after the session) and last 50 minutes. It doesn’t accept insurance.

User Satisfaction

Hers Therapy did well overall on our user survey: Ninety-one percent rated it positively overall, compared to an 84% average, and 89% rated therapist qualifications positively, compared to an 84% average

Eighty-one percent would recommend Hers Therapy to a friend, compared to a 71% average, and 89% said Hers was better than services they’d used in the past compared to an 86% average.

Best Self-Guided Course: Couples Therapy Inc

Key Specs

• Price: Course is free 
• Insurance Accepted? No
• Types of Therapy: Relationship therapy for couples and individuals, retreats

Why We Chose It 

Couples Therapy Inc’s free course has 19 helpful lessons that touch on topics like affair recovery, choosing a counselor, and what couples can expect after the counseling process.

Pros & Cons

Overview

Couples Therapy Inc is known for its intensive couples retreats led by therapists trained in the highly regarded Gottman Method. The well-researched, evidence-backed approach gives a framework for a stable relationship and provides tools to disarm conflict and build intimacy. And it appears to work, as does Couples Therapy Inc’s intensive format itself, as evidenced by the high user satisfaction data we’ve gathered.

Its self-paced free course offers 19 lessons (video and text) on topics like finding the right couples therapist, managing conflict when you and your partner have trauma, and how to take care of yourself during the crisis of infidelity. Lessons are short (around five minutes or less), yet they pack helpful and practical information in them. Plus, the video format provides an intimate experience and may help couples or individuals feel empathized with more than entirely text-based courses. 

The entire first module is dedicated to the process. You’ll get plenty of actionable tips from the course, but don’t expect it to transform your relationship; the primary goal of the course appears to be promoting Couples Therapy Inc itself.

Plans & Prices

Couples Therapy Inc’s course is free on their website if you create an account. Eighty-minute sessions with a relationship therapist costs vary based on experience. Weekend retreats start at $3,500.

User Satisfaction

Couples Therapy Inc was highly rated among users surveyed: Ninety percent of the users we surveyed rated their experience positively overall, compared to an 84% average, and 82% said their provider met all or most of their needs, compared to a 77% average. Eighty-three percent said they’d recommend it to a friend, compared to a 71% average. Thirty-eight percent of users said they came to Couples Therapy Inc for relationship/couples issues compared to a 7% average.

Best Family Counseling: LifeStance

Key Specs

• Price: $75–$300 per session without insurance
• Insurance Accepted?: Yes
• Types of Counseling: Individual, family, couples, groups, kids, teens, psychiatry, medication management

Why We Chose It 

In a family, the parents' relationship affects the children too. LifeStance Health offers family counseling for couples who want their kids involved in the counseling process and who need to discuss family dynamics and relationships.

Pros & Cons

Overview

LifeStance Health provides a variety of different types of therapy including couples and family therapy for parents who want their kids involved in the counseling process. Relationship issues undoubtedly affect kids and having the facilitation of a professional can help. Whether you’re concerned that your arguing impacts your children or you want help navigating the complex dynamics of a family unit, LifeStance’s counselors are trained to offer the targeted support you need. 

Sessions are 45 minutes long and held over live video. Counselors are well-versed in a variety of counseling approaches including dialectical behavior therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and psychodynamic techniques. A counselor might give you and your loved ones the opportunity and space to honor and express emotions, learn how to regulate emotions and nervous system states more effectively, explore and shift reactions, establish boundaries, and see conflict from another’s perspective. 

LifeStance Health also offers kids and teens individual therapy, as well as parent-child relationship therapy.

Plans & Prices

There are no subscription options at LifeStance Health. It’s a pay-as-you-go system, and cost varies according to the provider.

LifeStance does accept most commercial insurance plans from each state in which it offers services; otherwise, you can expect to pay between $75 and $300 per 45-minute session.

User Satisfaction

LifeStance Health was rated favorably among users with 88% rated it positively overall, compared to an 84% average. Fifty-one percent said they’d still be seeing the same counselor in six months, compared to a 42% average, and 90% rated their counselor’s qualifications positively overall, compared to an 84% average. Seventy-one percent said most or all of their needs were met by their counselor. 

Best Premarital Counseling: E-Therapy Cafe

Key Specs

• Price: $196–360 per month; $55 a session
• Insurance Accepted? No
• Types of Counseling: Couples therapy, individual therapy 

Why We Chose It 

Compared to other services we evaluated, E-Therapy Cafe offers affordably-priced, specialized, and quality premarital counseling to help engaged couples prepare for a lifelong commitment. It also offers bridal coaching and wedding coaching and many of its therapist have experience treating parents.

Pros & Cons

Overview

E-Therapy Cafe is an online therapy platform that offers treatment for a variety of mental health issues, but it excels at couples counseling, including premarital counseling. The company also offers bridal and wedding coaching to help couples navigate what can be a highly stressful experience. Getting support for the emotional, relational, and practical sides of engagement can be highly beneficial for starting a new chapter in the best way. 

When we tried the service, it was clear to us that the counselors were engaged and enthusiastic, plus they’re highly trained in a variety of modalities. There’s a small pool of counselors, but our user survey also found satisfaction to be very high, so it’s unlikely that you’ll cycle through practitioners in an attempt to find a quality clinician. Sessions are a little short for couples therapy at just 30 minutes long, but they’re affordable at $55 or less per session. You’ll have the option of live video or audio, or a virtual journal where you’ll write a 700-word entry and get a detailed response. 

Plans & Prices

E-Therapy Cafe doesn’t accept insurance but it's affordable and flexible. You can pay per session or in bundles:

• E-Therapy Shot: $55 per 30-minute session (instant chat, live video, or virtual journal)
• E-Therapy Four: $49 per session for four 30-minute sessions (instant chat, live video, or virtual journal)
• E-Therapy Flight: $45 per session for eight 30-minute sessions (instant chat, live video, or virtual journal)

User Satisfaction

E-Therapy was one of our highest performing platforms: Ninety-four percent rating it positively, compared to an 84% average, and 90% rated their therapist’s qualifications positively, compared to an 84% average. Eighty-two percent would recommend it to a friend, compared to a 71% average, and 58% said they’d be likely or very likely seeing their counselor six months from now, compared to a 42% average. 

Best Directory: Gottman Referral Network

Key Specs

• Price: Depends on provider
• Insurance Accepted? Depends on provider
• Types of Counseling: Couples, individual, family, teens, children

Why We Chose It 

The Gottman Referral Network is a directory of therapists who are trained in the highly regarded Gottman Method, a highly researched, evidence-based approach to couples counseling.

Pros & Cons

Overview

No one wants to gamble on their relationship. Taking the guesswork out of both the treatment approach and the therapy platform in question is a good idea when it comes to couples counseling. For couples who will only consider therapists trained in a highly evidence-based, well-researched modality, the Gottman Referral Network is a great option.

As it's a directory, you’ll seek out and connect with therapists on your own, which means their rates, formats, and additional specialties will vary. Yet all therapists on the directory are trained in The Gottman Method, a distinctly science-backed, well-supported approach to couples therapy. It’s based on observable, predictable relationship patterns that determine rates of divorce or reconciliation among other things.

Creators Dr. John and Julie Gottman took a cue from those patterns when creating their method, which lays out nine components of a healthy relationship, known as the “Sound Relationship House Theory.” Research around The Gottman Method is abundant, so you can get a feel for the method and its effectiveness for yourself.

Plans & Prices

As it’s a directory, prices, session frequency, and platform options (video, text, etc.) depend on the provider. Some therapists may take insurance. 

User Satisfaction

Gottman Referral Network is very well-liked by users: Ninety percent rated it positively overall compared to a 96% average. Seventy-eight percent said it was very likely they’d be seeing the same therapist in six months, compared to a 74% average, and 90% rated Gottman’s counselor options as very good to excellent, compared to an 89% average.