It’s become more and more common for couples to seek out couple’s therapy. This form of therapy is a great option for couples who want to work through deep-seated problems, in person, with the help of a professional. Similar to individual counseling, couples therapy requires a lot of emotional vulnerability throughout multiple sessions. Unfortunately, couples therapy is not a viable option for several couples.
Couples counseling is costly, time-consuming, and not very schedule-friendly. This explains why several couples get discouraged from seeking the help they need. Luckily, there are lots of (accessible) resources available for people that feel like they need relationship support.
Here are 5 affordable couples therapy alternatives that work:
1. Self-help Books
Nowadays, there are self-help books for just about everything – including relationships! Relationship self-help books explore, explain, and provide remedies for some of the most common problems among couples. Not only are they super accessible, but they also address a vast variety of topics.
2. Online Quizzes
If the last thing you want to do is look through your local bookstore’s self-help aisle, take your phone out. There are tons of relationship quizzes online to help you diagnose your relationship in the same way a therapist would (without hurting your monthly budget!). Doing these quizzes regularly can help you keep tabs on how things are going, which will allow you to address problems as they come up.
3. Date Nights
Routine date-nights can help you and your partner maintain your connection. Date night can be a movie night in, a fancy dinner out on the town, or a picnic at the park. Spending quality time together will show just how much you two care about each other, which can make conflict resolution much more meaningful.
4. Couples Workshops
If you want to avoid a therapist’s office, but still feel like you need the help of a trained counselor, go to a couple’s workshop! These well-equipped workshops can provide you and your partner with the resources you need to navigate through your relationship problems. Some workshops are more expensive than others, but it is significantly cheaper than long-term couples therapy.
5. Relish
Another way to avoid couples therapy is to sign up for relationship coaching. Relish is a relationship coaching app that helps you evaluate the current state of your relationship, create relationship goals, and actively move towards those goals. Using Relish will help you address problems early on as well as create a stronger bond between you and your partner.