11 Divorce Counseling Services We Recommend For Parents and Kids

Most Comprehensive: Growing Self

Key Specs

• Price: $65-$160 per session, depending on provider
• Insurance Accepted?: Under special circumstances
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples, family

Why We Chose It 

Growing Self understands divorce counseling is not one-size-fits-all and aims to help families find peace through transitions. Its therapists are trained to help with positive and productive couples therapy, discernment, divorce, and post-divorce services, including relationship therapy and breakup coaching. 

Pros & Cons

Overview 

Nurturing your family can be an exceptional challenge when you’re in the throes of a divorce and emotions are running high. The founder of Growing Self, Lisa Marie Bobby, Ph.D., and author of the book, Exaholics: Breaking Your Addiction to an Ex Love, reveals how separation affects your brain chemistry and how to recover from it. Growing Self therapists use these principles combined with an evidenced-based approach grounded in the science of attachment to help you achieve healing and personal growth. That will serve not only you, but your children, as you develop healthy boundaries and ways of relating to your family members in trying times.

Growing Self offers beginning-to-end divorce counseling services. You may be at the early stages and feel there is a small chance of reconciliation, and opt for a couples therapy approach. Or possibly you and your partner are at the point where divorce is the best option, but you are committed to co-parenting and need to find a common ground to work together. Maybe you are at the end stages of your divorce and need help finding closure and moving forward in a health, productive way. Growing Self’s therapist are ready to help regardless of stage—and even income, thanks to the sliding fee scale options. 

Your first consultation is free, and you can ask your provider what type of counseling is better suited for you—whether that’s discernment counseling, to determine if a divorce is the right route, or “healing from a broken heart” after a breakup. Whatever you choose, the specialists at Growing Self are trained in family systems and will always keep the well-being of you and your kids at the heart of the matter. You can also sign up for a divorce recovery group, where you will have the opportunity to speak with peers going through similar situations and access to a Facebook group for online messaging and discussions. 

Prices at Growing Self vary by what divorce counseling service you choose. Individual sessions vary from $65-160 per session, depending on your therapist's experience level.

User Satisfaction

Our user surveys revealed that 68% of respondents had most or all of their needs met by their providers, and 90% rated the services offered by Growing Self as excellent, very good, or good. Plus, 77% considered its service excellent, very good, or good value for the money. 

Best for Individual Counseling: ReGain

Key Specs

• Price: $240-$360 per month
• Insurance Accepted: No
• Types of Therapy: Individual and couples

Why We Chose It

We can only be the best parents to our kids when we are taking care of ourselves, and the relationship experts at ReGain can help you cope with divorce and learn how to remain both strong and open with your kids as you begin your journey as a single parent.

Pros & Cons

Overview

The relationship therapists at ReGain—who offer both couples and individual therapy—can help you make space for your own processing so that you can give your kids your best. ReGain’s 8,000 licensed therapists and social workers each have at least three years of practice under their belts. The counselors are particularly attuned to how healthy dynamics between ex-spouses can ensure children’s well-being as they weather the changes of divorce—and the sooner you start, the better. You also have the option of undergoing pre-divorce counseling without your partner. 

ReGain can also offer counseling through any stage of divorce, from discernment to determine whether divorce is the right choice to pre-divorce counseling, divorce mediation, and post-divorce counseling. When you sign up, you complete a thorough questionnaire about the status of your relationship and what you’re looking for in therapy to help determine which therapist and type of counseling will be most beneficial to you. You will be matched with a therapist, but can easily switch if you don’t feel they are a good fit. Prices range from $60-$90 per week, billed monthly.

User Satisfaction

ReGain is rated positively overall by its clients. Seventy-seven percent of users said that they had a good, very good, or excellent experience with ReGain therapy. Providers met most or all of the needs for 80% of clients and 88% said their therapists were well-qualified.

Best for Family Therapy: TherapyDen

Key Specs

• Price: Varies per provider
• Insurance Accepted?: It varies per provider, but many do
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples, family, group, kids and teens

Why We Chose It 

When divorce happens, family dynamics and routines can go awry. Among the providers listed in TherapyDen’s directory are those who specialize in therapy for the whole family, who can help you, your ex-partner, and your children reestablish healthy communication and learn to work through conflicts collaboratively.

Pros & Cons

Overview 

Divorce can be a tumultuous and confusing time for the whole family. Emotions can run high, not only for divorcing parents, but for their children as well, as everyone grapples with the changing dynamics. Including kids in family therapy through the process of a divorce can be invaluable in getting everyone on the same page and ensuring you and your ex-partner understand how your children are being affected and how to support them. 

Finding a family therapist is easy with TherapyDen, one of the most comprehensive and versatile therapist directories out there. Searching for a provider on TherapyDen is completely free, and you can narrow your search to include a number of factors, such as specialty (such as divorce), cost per session, insurance, type of therapy, and treatment techniques, to name a few.

Additionally, providers may not always list their rates on their profiles, so you may have to contact them to gather that information. A lot of providers accept insurance, and you can search for those who take your specific insurance. Some providers may also offer free consultations.

User Satisfaction  

TherapyDen generally received high marks from the 180 users we surveyed. Its helpfulness in finding a therapist was rated as good or very good by 79% of survey respondents, and 70% said they were likely or very likely to recommend the service to others. The service itself was rated as good or very good by 80% of respondents, and 65% said that it was better or much better than other services they’ve used in the past. Six percent of the users we surveyed reported that they used TherapyDen because of divorce or because they were considering a divorce.

Best for Discernment Counseling: Couples Therapy Inc.

Key Specs  

• Price: Rates for counseling sessions vary per provider; intensive weekend retreats start at $3,500 and coaching fees are $150-$275 per session
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples, intensive retreats

Why We Chose It

Whether you and your partner choose to work through your marital issue or separate, as parents, you will (in most cases) need to remain a team for your kids. Couples Therapy Inc. is focused exclusively on helping couples develop and maintain healthy relationships through joint sessions and retreats. Whether or not you decide to stay together, Couples Therapy Inc. will help you lay the groundwork to be good co-parents.

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

If you and your partner are on the verge and looking for a dedicated space for frank, guided discussion about what’s best for your family, discernment counseling from Couples Therapy Inc. may help you find clarity. 

Discernment counseling is dedicated to helping couples decide (or discern) whether it’s best—for partners and for their children—to give marriage one more shot, or to go their separate ways. In addition to discernment counseling, Couples Therapy Inc. offers traditional couples therapy, affair recovery, and solo therapy, which it calls “hopeful spouse” therapy. Discernment counseling sessions range from $150-$275 per session.

This company caters exclusively to couples. All of its providers are licensed professionals and trained in the Gottman Method, an evidence-based therapy technique that seeks to resolve conflicts within a relationship. Among the findings of founder John Gottman’s research was that happiness within couples who had children was centered around a shared sense of meaning and rituals of connection—shared priorities that will remain even if you dissolve your marriage—so you can be sure Couples Therapy Inc. providers will consider the importance of your roles as parents.

You can book couples therapy sessions with a provider in your area, or you can choose to go the more intensive route by signing up for a virtual or in-person weekend retreat. These retreats are designed to accelerate the therapeutic process for couples across a spectrum of issues, such as rebuilding intimacy, opening lines of communication, discernment, and more. During the retreat, you will have both individual and couples sessions. However, both partners need to be on board and willing to participate and the retreats are pricey, ranging from $3500-$6500.

User Satisfaction  

Couples Therapy Inc. has a high satisfaction rating. In a survey of 105 users, 90% said the service provided either excellent, very good, or good value for the money. Nearly 70% said it was better or much better than other services they’ve used in the past, and 83% said they would be likely or very likely to recommend it to others. Ten percent of our users reported seeking therapy specifically because of divorce. Fifty-nine percent took part in couples therapy, 16% had marriage counseling, and only 1% said they received divorce or discernment counseling (probably due to the focus of Couples Therapy Inc. being on improving existing relationships rather than navigating divorce). 

Best for LGBTQIA+: Gay Therapy Center

Key Specs

• Price: Rates begin at $185 per 50-minute session; California residents are eligible for $120 sessions
• Insurance Accepted?: Only in California, New York, and the District of Columbia
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples

Why We Chose It 

Therapy should be a safe place where you feel comfortable to be vulnerable and your authentic self. For this reason, Gay Therapy Center only employs therapists who are LGBTQIA+ with lived experience and understanding. Its therapist can help with discernment, healing after an affair, and more.

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Every family is unique; you deserve a divorce therapist who understands the challenges that are specific to yours. Gay Therapy Center is here for you and your partner at any stage in your relationship, from the point when the cracks are forming all the way through to divorce counseling and individual therapy to help you navigate your new life as a single parent.

Its couples counselors can help you improve your communication skills with an ex- or soon-to-be-ex-partner and break the fight cycle so that you can set your differences aside to be your best co-parenting selves. Gay Therapy Center also provides therapy for affairs and infidelities, to help heal and repair the broken trust between you. All Gay Therapy Center providers are licensed, and many specialize in couples therapy. 

The company says its work is influenced by emotionally focused couples therapy, a technique that is based in the science of attachment and has proven to be effective for couples counseling. Its LGBTQIA+-focused therapists can also assist in navigating issues particular to queer parents going through divorce, including gender roles and the emotional upheaval of custody issues, which may be particularly fraught in some states. A free 15-minute consultation is available to everyone interested in using the service. It consists of a brief conversation with Adam Blum, the founder of Gay Therapy Center, and the client intake coordinator. It is meant to help them match you with the best therapist for you. After that, sessions range from $120-$185 per session.

User Satisfaction

In our survey of 105 Gay Therapy Center users, 89% of respondents said that all or most of their needs were met by their providers, and nearly half expected to continue seeing their therapist for the next six months. Compared to other services they’ve used in the past, 62% of respondents said Gay Therapy Center was better or much better, and 71% said they are likely or very likely to recommend it. Only one percent of users turned to Gay Therapy Center specifically because of divorce, and 3% reported that they received divorce or discernment counseling.

Best for Young Kids: Little Otter

Key Specs

• Price: $170-$180 per session, plus initial $90 consultation fee
• Insurance Accepted?: In-network for Kaiser Permanente; reimbursement may be available for others 
• Types of Therapy: Individual children, couples, family

Why We Chose It 

Little Otter takes a refreshing whole-family approach to the mental health care of children who may be struggling through their parents’ divorce. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Young children are especially sensitive to the instability that can come with a divorce or separation, but the signs can show up in unexpected ways. Little Otter leads the field in online children's mental health care, including psychology, psychiatry, parent coaching and family therapy services for parents and kids ages newborn to 14.

Children are the undisputed focus of this practice, but the company is adamant that a child’s well-being is dependent on the health of the whole family. In addition to individual online therapy for even the youngest children, the company offers couples therapy and family therapy. But you don’t have to know which therapy is right for your children and family. Little Otter’s specially designed onboarding survey will help you identify the best approach to your kids' and family’s care and what potential issues deserve attention. You’ll get a “report card,” plus further explanation during your initial consultation, when a provider will help you come up with a care plan for your little one(s). Little Otter also offers psychiatric services, so you can get all of your child’s care in one place, even if it includes medication management. The company also offers couples therapy, so you and your soon-to-be-ex can meet with providers to help you develop a supportive co-parenting strategy. 

• Little Otter is currently only available in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington D.C., but says it’s expanding its presence to more states in the coming months. There is no recurring membership fee, but you will have to pay a $90 initial consultation fee up front plus $500 for an initial 75-minute psychiatric evaluation; $250 for 30-minute follow-up sessions, and any medication management thereafter. You can save up to 15% if you buy a 12-session bundle.
  

Little Otter is currently only in-network for Kaiser Permanente, but can provide a superbill to submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement, and sessions are HSA and FSA eligible. 

User Satisfaction

While Little Otter is rather expensive compared to competitors, 53% of users we surveyed still rated it affordable to very affordable. Seventy-nine percent of clients said Little Otter providers were well-qualified and 91% said some to all of their needs were met by the company. Three-quarters of Little Otter users rated it positively overall and 72% said they’d recommend its services to a friend.

Best for Teens: Zencare

Key Specs

• Price: Varies per provider
• Insurance Accepted?: It varies per provider, but many do
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples, kids and teens

Why We Chose It 

Zencare has a robust nationwide directory of licensed therapists, and its search tools can help you narrow down your search to providers who work exclusively with kids and teens and who specialize in divorce and separation. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Being a teenager is complicated enough; parents going through a divorce can make this age even tougher. If you’re the parent of a teen who may be struggling during your divorce—or if you just want to be proactive about their mental health—finding a qualified therapist for them can be one more daunting task on an already tall stack. Enter Zencare, a therapist directory with nationwide coverage that makes it easier to find a therapist for your family’s specific needs. 

You can narrow down your options using special filters, starting with your location. From there, you can search by profession and look for a child therapist, a child psychologist, a child psychiatrist, or any other type of mental health professional in your area who treats children and teens. You could also specify, for example, that you’re looking for someone with a specialty in divorce or separation who treats patients using cognitive behavioral therapy, and the results will show you every provider that meets your criteria. 

The most important thing in searching for a provider is figuring out if they can meet your individual needs, says Amy Marschall, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It’s vital they “have expertise in your specific issues, and are a good fit as far as personality and ‘clicking’ with you,” she adds. This is something you can assess during your free initial consultation, which is offered by many therapists at Zencare. Something you should keep in mind is that therapist availability varies per location, and there may be more or fewer matches in your area than in other places. 

User Satisfaction

Our survey of 180 Zencare users found that 90% rated the service as good or very good overall. Two-thirds of respondents found it better or much better than other services they’d previously used, and 82% would recommend it to their friends. Searching for a therapist was described as easy or fairly easy by 86% of respondents, and 72% are still seeing the same therapist. Thirteen percent sought a provider for their child on Zencare, and 3% sought services because they were considering a divorce.

Best for Group Support: Circles

Key Specs

• Price: $79 per month
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Group

Why We Chose It 

Circles hosts virtual group therapy where you connect with individuals who are going through similar life experiences—including groups specifically for divorce and separation facilitated by a trained mental health professional. It’s a great tool to find peer support that can help you stay grounded and mentally present with your family during this turbulent time.   

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Circles facilitates small, tight-knit support groups with other individuals who are going through a similar life experience, such as divorce or separation. Before you join, the company asks you a few key questions to determine where you are in your process, including if you and your partner are still living together, if you have kids, and how you’re taking the separation. Your answers will inform the group options available to you. Every group or “circle” is moderated by a trained mental health professional. You can read each facilitator’s bio before you choose a group if you’re using the app, but this is not a feature available for web users. This premium version of Circles, called "Circles+," offers groups specifically for divorce and separation, and costs $79 per month.

Circles also has a free version called Voices, where you can drop in to voice-only groups and chat with other users anonymously. These groups are moderated by peers and not mental health professionals, however. Still, with the ability to chat with your support group 24/7, a weekly one-hour group therapy session, and the peer-moderated groups available daily, Circles has created a really solid forum for peer connection and support.   

User Satisfaction

Over half of the 105 people we surveyed said that if they needed services again, they would start their search at Circles. Additionally, 80% of respondents said it provides good, very good, or excellent value for the money. When asked about the company’s performance, 77% said it met all or most of their needs, and 70% said they would recommend it to their friends. Seven percent of our users reported that they were divorced when they sought services at Circles.

Best for BIPOC: Inclusive Therapists

Key Specs

• Price: Varies per provider
• Insurance Accepted?: It varies per provider, but many do
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples, family, group, kids and teens

Why We Chose It 

Working with a therapist who understands the cultural and racial contexts affecting your family can minimize the time and emotional labor you have to do so your provider will understand your needs. Inclusive Therapists is an online directory of providers who are members of marginalized communities and specialize in treating them, giving you a deep repository to choose from. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Cultural differences may come into play in your divorce, or perhaps you are dealing with disproportionate stigma around being a newly single parent of color. Finding a therapist who understands these particular issues can give you and your children a leg up on the healing process, and Inclusive Therapists is here to introduce you to just such a therapist. Studies show that therapy yields better outcomes when you have a good relationship with your therapist, and the goal of this service is to provide a safe place where BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals and families can be vulnerable and find help when dealing with divorce. 

Inclusive Therapists is on a mission to eliminate the common challenges faced by Black people, indigenous people, and people of color when seeking care. Its goal is to provide an environment free of “neglect, prejudice, silencing, micro-aggressions, and language or financial barriers.” In terms of divorce counseling, having a therapist who shares your background and understands the cultural differences in relationship roles and expectations and how they can reverberate in your children’s lives will be more helpful to your healing process than working with someone who doesn’t.

The therapist directory is organized to let you search for providers by location or specialty, including divorce or discernment counseling. You can narrow down your results by insurance coverage, sliding scale options, therapist identity, and therapeutic approach, among other factors. Not all providers offer sliding scale options, but many do. If you’re too emotionally and mentally drained and exhausted to do the search yourself, you can use a free matching service to pair you with a therapist. 

User Satisfaction

Nearly 90% of the 180 people we surveyed rated Inclusive Therapists as good or very good and 77% are still using the same therapist they found on the directory today. Almost 75% of users report there’s a good or very good number of therapists available who speak languages other than English and 74% of users who have tried other services said Inclusive Therapists is better or much better. Six percent of users reported receiving divorce or discernment counseling, and 4% looked for a therapist because they were considering a divorce.

Best for Budget: Open Path Collective

Key Specs

• Price: $65 for lifetime membership; $30-$80 per session
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples, family, group

Why We Chose It 

If you’re concerned about how you’re going to afford divorce counseling, Open Path Collective might be a good place to find a therapist. This nonprofit therapist directory is focused on affordable care, and all providers offer rates on a sliding scale beginning at $30 per session. 

Pros & Cons

Overview 

If you’re going through a divorce, you’re likely entirely retooling your budget for critical expenses like childcare and housing to fit within your newly solo life. That reality poses significant challenges when seeking professional help to restore your well-being and overcome the trauma caused by your separation. Open Path Collective offers a silver lining. It is a nonprofit organization that maintains a therapist directory filled with providers who extend rates on a sliding scale ranging from $30 to $80 per session. This can be a game-changer for families that need divorce counseling, family therapy, or individual therapy for one or more members.

Those with household incomes below $100,000 qualify to join the collective and receive care. You also have to pay a one-time $65 membership fee, which will grant you lifetime access to the directory’s providers. To be clear, you can search and look up providers’ profiles for free. It is only when you decide to book a session for a reduced price of $30-$80 per session that the membership comes into play, since you can’t make appointments without it. Providers offer both in-person and online therapy appointments. The cheapest sessions are often offered by student interns or pre-licensed therapists, who may not have all the experience your healing journey requires. The number of available providers may also vary by location. 

User Satisfaction

Ninety percent of the 180 Open Path Collective users we surveyed rated the service as good or very good, with more than half describing it as the latter. Compared to other services they’ve used, 69% say it’s better or much better, and 84% would recommend it to their friends. Fourteen percent received divorce or discernment counseling from their Open Path provider, and 4% sought therapy because they were considering a divorce.

Best Directory: Gottman Referral Network

Key Specs

• Price: Varies by provider
• Insurance Accepted?: It varies by provider, but many do
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples, family, mediation

Why We Chose It 

Gottman Method-trained therapists are well versed in family systems, and the couples therapists listed in The Gottman Referral Network directory can assist in pre- and post-divorce counseling, family therapy, and individual therapy to help you learn to transition from being a couple to working together as effective co-parents; plus, many of them take insurance.

Pros & Cons

Overview 

Gottman Method founder John Gottman, Ph.D., and author of Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child. Big life events like divorce can dramatically derail or benefit your child’s emotional health, and which way they’re affected largely depends on how you, as parents, handle the process. Therapists trained in this modality will know how important developing a healthy narrative and co-parenting style will be to not only your well-being but your children’s—and you can find them through the Gottman Referral Network. The Gottman Method is based on decades of research and results, and is widely regarded as one of the premier techniques for couples therapy, including for those going through divorce. 

The Gottman Referral Network lets you search for professionals in your state and narrow down the results by selecting the type of therapy you’re interested in—individual, couples, or family, for example—and by specialization. Whether you prefer working with someone who has experience in helping couples cope with the aftermath of an affair or you’re looking for someone to help you recover post-divorce, this directory is a helpful resource. Its therapists can counsel you in the subjects of infertility, infidelity, financial strains, loss of a child, parenting, and traumatic relationships.

The therapists who are part of the Gottman Referral Network set their own rates, so the cost per session varies by provider and location. Some providers list their rates on their profile, but most don’t. Similarly, a lot of providers accept insurance, but not all of them.

User Satisfaction  

The Gottman Referral Network has very positive reviews. Nearly 80% of users rated it good or very good, according to our survey of 180 people. Finding a therapist that met their needs was described as an easy or very easy process by 60% of respondents and more than 70% continue using the same therapist today. Nearly 10% of our users reached out to the Gottman Referral Network specifically for help navigating a divorce, and 16% reported receiving divorce or discernment counseling.