The widespread availability of videoconferencing and telehealth has made online counseling a viable option for many busy couples.
At Mariposa Center, a mental wellness and recovery non-profit serving Orange County since 1977, we have offered virtual therapy since 2019 and have seen firsthand the benefits that affordable online couples counseling can provide.
3 Benefits of Online Couples Counseling
The reasons that couples choose to find a counselor can be as unique and varied as the couples themselves. You may be struggling with communication, trust, a child’s behavior issues, or a myriad of other challenges.
In any case, the benefits of online couples counseling can make your experience more convenient, comfortable, and valuable – we’ll explain how below.
1. Convenience
Many couples who decide to try counseling are already juggling jobs, kids, and other responsibilities that can make it difficult to meet in a therapist’s office regularly.
Eliminating the need to commute to a mental health professional’s office can free up more time for your actual therapy, and can also reduce potential objections to starting with a counselor in the first place.
2. Comfort
Opening up in couples therapy can be a difficult and emotional process. Online couples counseling offers some relief in that your therapy sessions take place at home or in a location of your choice, not an office.
Participating in therapy from home can also give your therapist context for your circumstances, including an inside look (with your permission, of course) at your living situation.
3. Customization
In some situations, you or your partner may uncover mental health challenges in couples therapy that would be better dealt with in a one-on-one setting.
When that happens, it’s easier to schedule additional sessions or work with a mental health professional who specializes in those needs if you’re already comfortable with online therapy.
Online Couples Counseling with Mariposa Center
Mariposa Center has provided affordable mental wellness services for couples and families in Southern California since 1977, and we added virtual counseling services in 2019 to give our clients access to all of the benefits listed above. This proved invaluable as we were able to maintain continuity of care for many clients during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Research has found that virtual counseling can be just as effective as in-person sessions, which is why we became relatively early adopters of online therapy. Making mental health services accessible for everyone has always been a core mission of Mariposa, and online counseling has become a big part of that.”
Lindsey Crook, LMFT; Director of Operations, Mariposa Center
In simple terms, our efforts to help individuals, couples, and families haven’t changed, but the availability of online meeting spaces has allowed those efforts to evolve. If you are struggling to find the right setting for your couples counseling, consider a virtual session – you may find that the best place to work on your home life was at home all along.
Contact Mariposa Center to learn more about online couples counseling.
