If you’re looking for an affordable alternative to private marriage therapy, check to see if colleges or universities offer programs in family and marriage counseling resources.
The cost of therapy can be high when you pay anywhere between $80 to $140 per hour for an experienced clinician. Couples don’t always have extra funds to cover such expenses, regardless of how badly they may need it. The cost of family and marriage counseling programs at colleges and universities is often much lower and therefore more affordable.
In many ways, they provide people with valuable services. These programs not only provide ongoing research, but they also offer supervised training for students. In order to provide therapy or counseling in these programs, graduate students pursuing degrees in clinical counseling, general counseling, marriage and family therapy, or clinical socialwork are typically used.
They are not licensed yet, but they provide therapy in order for them to gain clinical experiences that are required by many, if no all, graduate programs. They are under the supervision and guidance of a licensed psychologist, therapist or counselor. While they are working with you, as a client they will discuss your progress with their supervisor. It protects both you and the therapist.
For some programs in family and marriage therapy, you must fall within a certain household income range to be eligible. These programs are also usually only open to those who do not have health insurance coverage for outpatient mental health care. There may be no charge at all in some programs, but there are many that do. People are more likely to invest in and commit to the counseling or therapeutic process if it costs them. Free services are often not valued by clients.
Many programs for family therapy and marriage counseling are housed in an independent facility, separate from the university or college. Others offer these services on the campus. The same confidentiality rules apply to mental health and medical care.
If you’re hesitant to receive help from these family and marital therapy programs, because you think that a student is not qualified to help you out, you could be missing out on a valuable resource. Graduate students are eager to gain knowledge and are not burned out from the therapy profession as some clinicians with years of experience. Graduate students may also be very informed and aware of the latest treatment advances for various disorders. Calling to ask if the program is in your locality and if it’s available is well worth the effort. You’ll never know until you try. And if your marriage has reached a crisis point, wouldn’t it be better to check all of your options before dismissing them? At least give it a shot if you’re eligible. You may be pleasantly surprised to find out how many benefits you could get from it.