By MindWise HealthCouples Counseling
2 treatment centers 13 services offered
2 treatment centers on Curivya list Couples Counseling, across Alabama and Tennessee. Both also list telehealth appointments. Insurance accepted across these listings includes Aetna, Medicaid Alabama, AMBETTER and Telus formerly Behavioral Health Systems, among others. Plans differ even within one insurer, so confirm your specific plan with the practice before booking. The same locations also list Medication Management, Individual Therapy, Family Therapy, Kids & Teen Therapy and Telehealth Services.
Couples counseling, also called couples therapy or marriage counseling, is talk therapy that helps two partners understand and work through problems in their relationship. You do not need to be married, and you do not need to be in crisis. Couples come for constant arguments, distance, trust after an affair, decisions about the future, or stress from parenting, money or illness.
The relationship itself is the focus rather than either person alone. Sessions usually include both partners, and the work tends to be practical and centered on what is happening now.
What sessions are usually like
The first session or two are mostly about understanding the relationship: what brought you in, how each of you sees the problem, and what you each want to change. The therapist will usually set some goals with you and agree on how often to meet.
Later sessions often look at patterns rather than individual arguments, such as how a disagreement escalates or why one partner withdraws. Many therapists give you something to try between sessions. Couples therapy is often relatively short term, though that depends on what you are working on.
Who provides it
Couples counseling is provided by licensed therapists of several kinds, including marriage and family therapists, who are trained specifically to look at relationships as systems, as well as counselors, social workers and psychologists. What matters more than the title is whether the clinician has real experience with couples. It is fair to ask that directly.
Before the first session
It helps if both of you agree to go, even if one is more hopeful than the other. Before the first appointment, each of you might think about what you most want to change, and what would tell you therapy is working. You do not need to agree on the answers.
Check practical details early: whether the practice sees couples by video as well as in person, how long sessions run, what they cost, and whether your plan covers any of it. Ask, too, whether the therapist ever meets partners individually and how they handle what is shared in those meetings.
When couples therapy is not the right fit
If one partner is controlling, threatening or hurting the other, joint sessions can make things less safe. The National Domestic Violence Hotline does not encourage anyone in an abusive relationship to attend counseling with their partner, because abuse is about power and control rather than a communication problem, and what is said in a session can be used against the person being harmed. Individual support is the safer starting point.
Couples therapy also does not replace individual treatment for depression, substance use or other conditions, though the two often run side by side.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233, or thehotline.org.
- Immediate danger: call 911. Thoughts of suicide: call or text 988.
Common questions about Couples Counseling
Does insurance cover couples counseling?
Coverage varies. Some plans cover it only when it is part of treating a diagnosed condition in one partner, and some do not cover it at all. Check your plan and ask the practice how it bills before the first session.
What if my partner will not come?
You can still see a therapist on your own about the relationship. Some couples start that way, and one partner's changes can shift the dynamic. A therapist can also talk with you about how to raise joint sessions.
Is couples therapy only for people about to break up?
No. Many couples come earlier, when they notice the same argument repeating or feel more distant. Starting before problems harden is generally easier.
Should we do couples therapy if there is abuse in the relationship?
The National Domestic Violence Hotline advises against joint counseling with an abusive partner, because it can put the person being harmed at more risk. Individual support and a safety plan come first. The Hotline is at 1-800-799-7233.