Inclusive Online Couples Counseling Services

Best Overall: ReGain

Key Specs  

• Price: $60 to $90 per week 
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples

Why We Chose It

ReGain offers individual and couples therapy with licensed, trained, and accredited professionals. Users get one live video session per week, or the session can be conducted anonymously via text. 

Pros & Cons

Overview

Owned by BetterHelp, ReGain is specifically geared toward couples therapy, helping couples with issues such as stress, anxiety, communication problems, parenting, depression, and family conflicts. The therapists at ReGain are licensed, trained, experienced, and accredited psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, and licensed professional therapists.

Upon signing up, you’re assigned a therapist based on your intake questionnaire answers, but it’s worth noting that there are no bios for the therapists for your reference prior to the match. You get what the algorithm chooses for you, and once you’re matched, you can see your therapist’s bio and credentials. If the therapist is not a fit, you can request a new therapist by clicking on "Change Therapist" from within your account portal.

ReGain offers counseling via phone or live video once per week, along with unlimited messaging in between. Once you’re assigned to a therapist, you can reach out to them within 24 hours. If you choose to communicate with your therapist via text, you can also expect a reply within 24 hours. Reviewers found that, overall, the responses felt genuine and thoughtful. Moreover, the responses felt like they were actual answers to what was being shared, not scripted. 

Regain doesn’t offer medication management, nor does it work with minors. 

Plans & Pricing 

ReGain is subscription-based; fees range from $240 to $360 per month depending on where you live and demand when you sign up because the company engages in surge pricing. 

The platform doesn’t accept health insurance. It also doesn’t offer a free trial.

User Satisfaction  

Overall, the company looks to be a reliable option for couples therapy. A tester noted prompt response times, thoughtful responses, and satisfactory quality of care. Considering that this is a text- and online video based-service, there’s plenty of room for technical error, but testers found that ReGain does its due diligence to make the process easy and support the user(s). 

If numbers speak louder than words for you, here are a few stats to consider. 

• 77 percent of users surveyed rated ReGain as very good or excellent.
• 51 percent of respondents said that all their therapy needs were met with ReGain.
• 45 percent said they’re likely to continue seeing a therapist 12 months from now.
• 50 percent rated ReGain's customer service as very good or excellent.

Best for Married Couples: Talkspace

Key Specs

• Price: $69 - $109 per week 
• Insurance Accepted?: Yes
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples, teens 

Why We Chose It 

Talkspace offers a wide range of couples therapy, from premarital to marriage counseling. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview

Founded in 2012, Talkspace was one of the first online therapy sites, and today, it’s still one of the largest. Through the platform, couples can meet with a licensed therapist for virtual couples therapy to help them resolve the issues and challenges in their relationship. Counseling sessions are offered via messaging on Talkspaces’s secure platform, by phone, or through live video sessions. 

Couples who choose to message their therapist will typically get a response within two hours. Those who prefer live 30-minute video calls will have to book the sessions themselves, but generally, appointments are available within the week.

Plans & Pricing

Talkspace offers a range of plans, with prices as follows:

• $69 messaging only
• $99 per week for video and messaging therapy 
• $109 per week for video messaging and workshops

You can also save an additional 10 percent to 20 percent if you choose to be billed quarterly or biannually, and you can cancel your subscription at any time. Unlike many other therapy platforms, Talkspace accepts insurance, including Premera, Cigna, Optum, Gatorcare, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and more.

User Satisfaction

Overall, Talkspace ranked well among surveyed users:

• 69 percent rated Talkspace as very good or excellent.
• 78 percent of respondents indicated that all or most of their needs were met. 
• 82 percent said that they were likely or very likely to recommend the service to a friend.

Best for Engaged Couples: E-Therapy Cafe

Key Specs

• Price: $55 per session (or subscriptions up to $360)
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Individual therapy, couples therapy, marriage counseling, wedding and bridal coaching

Why We Chose It 

E-Therapy Cafe offers a host of counseling services, many of which are geared toward couples approaching their wedding day. It offers couples and marital counseling as well as bridal and wedding coaching to help couples manage the excitement, stress, and feelings of overwhelm that inevitably occur in the lead-up to the big day. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Clinical psychologist and military wife Jude Black, Ph.D., has been providing online therapy services for over 20 years, primarily to military members overseas. In 2016, she expanded her offerings to people everywhere with E-Therapy Cafe. 

E-Therapy Cafe matches licensed mental health professionals and certified life coaches to those who need them. Users can choose their therapist based on their bios, so you can make an informed choice. It’s worth noting that E-Therapy Cafe doesn’t work with psychiatrists, so it doesn’t offer medication management or work with minors.  

Once matched, users can communicate with their therapist via messaging through the portal in a private chat room. Upon receiving the comments, questions, and discussion, the therapist will respond. Testers said they typically received answers within minutes. If you prefer, you can book live 30-minute video sessions with your therapist, and appointments are typically available within a few days. 

Beyond a host of online therapy options, other services include trauma counseling for military service members and their spouses and emotional support animal services. For those facing high-stress bridal commitments or weddings (think: in-laws, immediate family demands, or finances), E-Therapy Cafe can offer talk therapy along with meditation tools to help couples conquer all the highs and lows that come with planning one of the biggest events of their life.

Plans & Pricing

E-Therapy Cafe doesn’t offer free trials or consultations, but it does offer a trial session at $50 for 30 minutes. After that, you prepay for e-sessions 24 hours prior to your scheduled time or choose from one of their subscriptions. Plans are:

• $55 for a 30-minute therapy session
• $196 for a monthly four-session package 
• $360 for a monthly eight-session package

E-Therapy Cafe also offers discounts for military, first responders, and students.

User Satisfaction

While E-Therapy Cafe has a clunky and outdated website that can be off-putting, reviewers and survey respondents had a positive experience with the platform. 

• 94 percent of users rated it as good, very good, or excellent overall.
• 80 percent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the therapists on the site.
• 82 percent said they were likely or very likely to recommend the service to a friend.

Notably, the speed of response, the type of therapy offered, and the therapists’ qualifications came out on top. 

Best for Dealing with Alcohol Addiction: Monument

Key Specs

• Price: $10 to $249 per month
• Insurance Accepted?: Yes
• Types of Therapy: Individual

Why We Chose It 

For couples that are trying to either beat addiction together or support their partner through alcohol addiction recovery, Monument is a great choice. The platform specializes in treating alcohol addiction using the Sinclair Method and connects users with highly-skilled addiction recovery therapists. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Monument connects users with medical doctors that help manage their alcohol addiction. Doctors are typically board-certified and have at least one year of experience working with patients struggling with alcohol addiction or other forms of substance abuse. Therapy is available via chat-based messaging or 45-minute live sessions. It’s also worth noting that while other platforms require a per-session fee, Monument offers a free community membership that gives users access to therapist-moderated support groups on topics related to alcohol abuse and changing their relationship with alcohol, as well as an anonymous 24/7 community forum. 

It’s important to note that Monument typically uses The Sinclair Method to treat alcohol addiction. Developed by John Sinclair, this method of alcohol abuse treatment involves prescription medication that, when taken prior to consuming alcohol, blocks endorphins or the reward system in your brain. When taken over time, the brain learns not to associate alcohol with pleasure, resulting in reduced cravings and improved control over alcohol use. That said, Monument only prescribes medication that is FDA-approved for the treatment of alcohol use disorder, such as disulfiram; no other prescriptions are ever prescribed. 

Monument doesn’t offer help with other mental health conditions, meaning partners of those dealing with addiction will need to seek an Al-Anon-like therapy elsewhere. But because it deals with such a sensitive issue, it has a pretty responsive team that can help coordinate referrals to external mental healthcare providers should doctors feel it’s warranted. Moreover, Monument has crisis policies and procedures in place to respond to adverse reactions and emergent issues.

Plans & Pricing

Monument offers multiple plans that range from free community groups to $249 per month. It accepts insurance, including Cigna Aetna, Oxford Health Plans, and Medicare. 

Anyone can enroll in Monument’s community membership for free. Enrollment grants them access to therapist-moderated support groups and 24/7 community forums. 

Beyond that, paid plans for Monument include

• Physician Care 

For $10 a month, users get virtual prescription management for medications related to the Sinclair Method, chat-based messaging with their physician, unlimited therapist-moderated support groups, and the ability to schedule additional appointments for $45 per appointment. 

• Total Care (bi-weekly)

For $35 per week or $149 per month, users can access the same resources as the Physician Care plan (outlined above) as well as bi-weekly, 45-minute therapy sessions.

• Total Care (weekly)

For $58 per week or $249 per month, users have access to the Physician Care plan (outlined above) and weekly 45-minute therapy sessions. 

User Satisfaction

Overall, Monument has a pretty good reputation in terms of online therapy. Users have indicated that they found the doctors to be attentive, compassionate, and non-judgmental. 

• 69 percent rated Monument as very good or excellent. 
• 78 percent of respondents indicated that all or most of their needs were met. 
• 82 percent said that they were likely or very likely to recommend the service to a friend.

Best for Divorcing: Couples Therapy Inc.

Key Specs

• Price: $150 to $275 a session
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Premarital counseling, affair recovery, discernment (divorce contemplation) counseling, and "last shot" couples counseling

Why We Chose It 

Couples Therapy Inc. is a solid choice for potentially divorcing couples because it offers a host of therapy options, such as affair recovery, divorce discernment, and “last shot” counseling. Moreover, beyond its online therapy options, Couples Therapy Inc. also offers intensive couples retreats for divorce discernment. 

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

Couples Therapy Inc. provides assessment and treatment using evidence-based therapy, including the Gottman Method, emotionally focused therapy, solution-focused therapy, and integrative behavioral couples therapy, to help couples growing through difficult patches and those considering divorce. Most of the marriage counselors on its roster have 20 to 30 years of experience as relationship professionals. Included among them are clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and even board-certified sex therapists. 

The website is easy to navigate, and users can click on their geographic area to find available therapists. Even better, each listing shows where the therapist is licensed as well as their certifications and qualifications. 

Couples Therapy Inc. also offers weekend therapy retreats led by licensed professionals. The combination of personalized attention and intensive work in a short time may lead to faster results than 50-minute sessions over weeks and months can offer. There’s also discernment (divorce) counseling for couples on the precipice of divorce who are struggling with the decision. 

Couples Therapy Inc. also offers a sexuality retreat and a comprehensive online library of self-guided help through a series of downloadable e-books and workbooks.

Plans & Pricing

The exact fee you’ll pay per session will vary based on the therapist you choose. For an 80-minute session, couples can expect to pay about $244 per session, but the most senior therapists charge $500 to $1,500 more.

Intensive marriage retreats (which typically run Friday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) are available online and in-person in every state except Rhode Island, Delaware, Mississippi, Louisiana, the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Montana, and range in price from $3,500 to $6,500. The fee does not include travel, lodging, or food. Couples Therapy Inc. doesn’t accept insurance, but potential users can schedule a free consultation. 

User Satisfaction

Survey respondents seemed to have a good experience with Couples Therapy Inc. overall. 

• 90 percent of users rated Couples Therapy Inc. as good, very, good, or excellent.
• 82 percent said all or most of their needs were met.
• 72 percent rated their therapist's qualifications as very good or excellent.

Couples Therapy Inc. also showed a strong performance in speed of response and types of therapy offered. 

Best for Christians: Calmerry

Key Specs

• Price: $230 to $360 per month
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Individual, peer, couples, group 

Why We Chose It 

Users can indicate a preference for Christian-based counseling or a therapist of the faith on their intake form and be assigned accordingly.  

Pros & Cons 

Overview 

While most online therapy platforms match users to a qualified therapist, many use an algorithm to do so. Calmerry sets itself apart from the rest by matching users and therapists manually. On the intake form, users can indicate a preference for everything from language to religion. That means that if you prefer a Christian therapist who shares your faith, one will be assigned to you. (Calmerry only features this option for Christian faiths, not any other religions). If you do not want faith-based therapy, then that is an option as well.

According to the website, Calmerry works with a variety of clients, but their primary users are 25- to 34-year-old women who struggle with depression, anxiety, and relationship and self-esteem issues. Calmerry also offers online couples therapy and a range of other therapies, including pediatric therapy, parent counseling, psychiatry, and more.

Once you’re matched, you can reach out to your therapist right away through the Calmerry app. Therapy is conducted via text message or 30-minute video calls with your therapist on the app. If you message your therapist, you can expect a response within three to four hours. If you’re scheduling a live session, you shouldn’t have to wait longer than 24 hours for availability. 

Plans & Pricing

Calmerry is a subscription-based service, and clients can choose from 3 subscription plans: 

• Messaging only: $230 per month
• Messaging + 1 video session: $300 per month
• Messaging + 4 video sessions: $360 per month

It’s worth noting that Calmerry offers discounts on the first month, so new users can expect to pay slightly lower prices:

• $42 per week (billed monthly) for messaging only 
• $52 per week (billed monthly) for messaging + 1 video session

Calmerry doesn’t accept insurance. 

User Satisfaction

Overall, 74 percent of survey respondents rated Calmerry as very good or excellent.

• 84 percent gave the platform positive ratings ranging from good to excellent.
• 83 percent of respondents indicated that all or most of their needs were met. 
• 68 percent said that they were likely or very likely to recommend the service to a friend.

Best for Inclusivity: Kip Therapy

Key Specs

• Price: $65 to $250 
• Insurance Accepted?: No
• Types of Therapy: Individual, couples, teens, groups

Why We Chose It 

Kip Therapy offers New York residents a diverse team of who clinicians specialize in working with clients facing all forms of oppression, including racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. 

Pros & Cons

Overview 

Kip Therapy caters to a wide range of clients, including LGBTQIA+, people of color, and people struggling with anxiety, depression, substance use, body image issues, and disordered eating. In comparison to many of the online therapy providers reviewed, Kip also had a far more diverse group of therapists on its roster. Perhaps more importantly, users can do their own research on the website and choose the therapist they feel would best serve them. You can filter your search based on a number of factors, including race, budget, sexual orientation, or clinician specialty. Once you hone in on a particular therapist, you’ll find a comprehensive bio with every bit of information you might need to make an informed decision. 

Therapy sessions are typically conducted over video or phone calls, with each session lasting about 45 minutes. Therapists are typically available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Prior to 2020, Kip Therapy offered in-person therapy in New York, but due to the pandemic, the online couples counseling service went completely remote. The remote offerings no doubt opened Kip Therapy to a whole new client base. While Kip Therapy may return to offering in-person therapy at some point, it's currently still online only.

Plans & Pricing

Kip Therapy offers prices on a sliding scale to accommodate all sorts of budgets, but it doesn’t take insurance. 

After your first consultation session (which is free for Tier 1 and $25 for other appointment types), therapists charge the following rates:

• Tier I (Emerging Therapist): $65 to 95 per session; $200 for couples therapy and adolescent therapy
• Tier II (Resident Fellow): $130 to $150 per session; $200 for couples therapy and adolescent therapy
• Tier III (Senior Clinician): $170 to $225 per session; $250 for couples therapy and adolescent therapy

User Satisfaction

Seventy-five percent of users rated Kip Therapy as very good or excellent. Other user survey results included:

• 54 percent of users said that they were likely or very likely to recommend the service to a friend.
• 67 percent said that Kip was better or much better than other services they've used in the past.
• 89 percent indicated that all or most of their needs were met.