Let's talk honestly about the money, because it's one of the first things people wonder about and one of the last things they feel comfortable asking.

Couples therapy with a specialist costs more than general therapy. Sometimes significantly more. Here are the specific reasons why — and why, if you're serious about your relationship, the investment is usually worth examining clearly rather than dismissing.

Most Therapists Aren't Trained to Work With Couples

This surprises most people: approximately 80% of therapists who see couples have received little to no specific training in couples therapy. Graduate training in counseling is almost entirely focused on individual therapy. Couples work requires a fundamentally different skill set — reading two people simultaneously, managing the dynamics between them, knowing when to intervene and when to let a conversation develop.

A therapist who hasn't specifically trained in couples work is essentially improvising. Sometimes it goes fine. Often it doesn't — which is why so many couples leave therapy having spent significant money with nothing to show for it, or worse, having been inadvertently pushed toward outcomes that weren't in their best interest.

Specialized Training Has Real Costs

Postgraduate training in evidence-based couples approaches — Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and others — costs thousands of dollars in courses, certifications, and supervision. Therapists who've invested in that training carry those costs, just like a specialist physician carries costs that a general practitioner doesn't. The fee reflects real expertise, not arbitrary pricing.

The Sessions Are Longer and More Complex

Individual therapy typically runs 50 minutes. Couples sessions routinely run 75–90 minutes because there are two people whose perspectives need to be heard, two emotional realities to track, and a complex dynamic between them that takes time to work with carefully. More time per session, at a higher expertise level, means a higher rate.

The Cost of Not Getting Help Is Higher

Divorce is expensive — financially, emotionally, and in terms of its impact on children and extended family. The cost of staying in a miserable relationship without getting help is also high, paid out in years of unhappiness and disconnection. Viewed against either of those alternatives, a few thousand dollars for genuinely skilled help looks different.

That's not a sales pitch. It's an honest comparison most people don't sit down and make. Sit down and make it.

There are excellent therapists who take insurance and charge lower rates. I'm not arguing against them — I'm explaining why specialized couples work costs what it costs, and why the people who seek it out usually find the investment justified.

What would it mean for your relationship to get the right kind of help — and what's that worth to you?

Did any of that resonate? I’d love to do a free 35–45 minute video meet & greet with you — no commitment, just a conversation to see if working together makes sense. Let’s Talk!