What do you think of online marriage counseling?

Question

Has anyone ever tried to find a marriage counselor that offer's counseling via the internet. Or is it even legal to do this.

Answer 1

I have never heard of this so I did a quick search using Google. Here is a list of URL's you could check out:
www.marriagematters.com
www.lightyourfire.com
www.familytherapynet.com
www.online-counseling-service.com
www.asktheinternettherapist.com

I have my doubts about how effective it would be to do this. Maybe if you had a mic and speakers and could talk VoIP, maybe it would work. But it seems there would be so much you'd be missing. How can you read body language? If one person is becomming uncomfortable or defensive, how would the therapist see that? It seems there are a lot of ques your therapist would be missing and it would lessen their effectiveness.

I think what would be cool though is to have couples counsel each other. I've talked with friends about their marriages and we've kind of counseled each other. But I imagine in the wrong circumstances, that might inadvertantly start some nasty fights.

So I guess my answer is that while I think it is an interesting idea, I don't think it would be as effective as traditional face-to-face marriage counseling.

Also, I think that traditional marriage counseling might start more problems than it solves. I really like the Gottman approach which essentially says that the more you get to know your spouse, the more you will like him or her. Gottman wrote a book called "Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work" or something like that.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I have never tried or done this but i am sure if they are licensed to do so I dont see why this would not be legal..... Most online counseling sites offer help through email and phone lines as well!
Also some people or couples are embarrassed to go to someone in person and would rather go online.

Answer 3

There are few if any couples who have been together any amount of time who have managed to successfully avoid any of the many pitfalls that that are inherent in committed partnerships. We know (personally and professionally) many couples who were convinced that theirs was a relationship that was the exception to this rule only to find after the first major disappointment, or the first child, or the first serious disagreement, or the last straw, that they were wrong. And while there are some couples who do experience deep marital fulfillment with little if any serious conflict along the way, for the vast majority of couples, not just those who are mismatched or emotionally unbalanced, stuff happens. Sometimes it’s bad stuff that doesn’t just go away over time, or when you ignore it, or when one partner intimidates the other into backing down or shutting up.

Answer 4

I was able to save my marriage thanks to my family and friends. I also read a lot about marital issues and tips on how to save your relationship. The ebook on this site helped me a lot http://savemarriage.toptips.org
Check it out it's worth it.