In this age of technology you can do just anything online, this includes having marriage counseling. In fact online counseling offers many benefits, especially when it comes to the convenience for both partners. Chances are high that one or both spouses work full time which makes getting to sessions together not that convenient, especially if you want to have regular sessions.
When it comes to choosing a marriage counselor you want to find one that will be beneficial for you and your spouse, the end goal after all is to improve your marriage.
Here are some tips for choosing an online marriage therapist:
Ask For Recommendations
Most people don’t freely share that they have gone for marriage counseling, but if you do know of someone that has gone for online counseling it will be well worth asking them some questions and if they would recommend the psychologist or counselor that they used.
Make sure to ask some additional questions rather than just getting a name and number. Find out what they liked about the counselor and exactly how the counselor helped them.
Read Reviews and Research
Lots of websites will show reviews from customers, however no business person will publish a negative review on their own website. Take that into account when you are reading the reviews.
If the counselor has a Facebook page or Google business page have a look there too. You may find a more realistic view there.
Look up the counselor and find out where he or she studied, why they decided to become a counselor, what experience they have and any other important information you can find out. Someone may catch your eye and appear to be someone that can help you and your spouse.
Create A Shortlist With Your Spouse
It is very important that you and your spouse agree on the counselor that you want to see and that you are both happy and comfortable with your choice.
You can draw up a list of counselors and include all the information you have researched about them and then each choose your top three picks and see if there is one that stands out for you both.
If there are none in common you can discuss the top three that you have each chosen and why to see if perhaps you can make a decision based on that discussion.
Ask Questions
Just because you both like a counselor doesn’t mean it will be the best counselor for you. Contact the counselor and have a list of questions ready to ask. There may be plenty of things that you would like to know and here are a few questions you can consider adding in:
- How do you help couples overcome conflict in their relationship?
- What types of counseling do you offer or do you only focus on couples therapy?
- How often will we need to have sessions?
- How long have you been counseling couples?
- How many couples have you helped?
All of the above tips will help you and your spouse find the best online counselor to help you get your marriage back on track. Once you have made your choice of counselor it is always a good idea to have a trial run for a few sessions to decide if that is the right counselor for you. It is very important that both partners are comfortable and trust the counselor for best long term results.