What if my relationship is falling apart and I can’t afford therapy?
Just because you can’t afford couples therapy doesn’t mean your relationship has to suffer. Atlanta has many affordable resources for couples experiencing problems.
From supervised intern couples counseling to workshops and groups, Atlanta affordable couples therapy options are numerous and convenient. Here are a few ideas.
Affordable Couples Counseling in Atlanta is Plentiful
When you’re searching for affordable couples therapy, there are a few terms you should understand: “Supervision,” “Intern” and “Sliding Scale.” Educating yourself about your affordable couples therapy options might be the key to keeping your relationship on track.
Supervision is a step all Georgia counselors must take. Counselors are “under supervision” for thousands of hours before they are fully certified to work independently. During that supervisory period, the therapist is called an “intern.”
An intern under supervision has earned a master’s degree in counseling, marriage and family therapy, or clinical social work. They have been fully trained and – as an added bonus for their clients – work directly with a highly experienced, fully certified counselor.
In addition to the training the intern has completed, their supervisor is required to have completed a rigorous process to become certified to oversee new counselors. It’s a great time to get affordable couples counseling in Atlanta.
Supervised Intern Couples Therapy
Most “market-rate” Atlanta couples counselors charge from $100-$175 per hour. That may seem like a lot of money, but counselors are highly educated professionals who have invested in their certification. The limited number of clients a typical counselor can effectively treat is a factor, as well.
Interns, however, are just starting out and charge significantly under the market rate. Atlanta’s Courtney Geter, LMFT, for instance, charges $150 for a standard 50-minute session, but offers therapy sessions by her supervised interns at $35 per hour. That’s quite a savings!
Atlanta Workshop Group Couples Therapy
Another option is group therapy or workshops. Couples classes can be an effective alternative to one-on-one therapy. Atlanta therapist Stephanie Cook’s Atlanta Couples Counseling offers several one-day classes throughout the year. Stephanie charges $425 per couple, but it’s an entire day of healing work with your partner.
Atlanta Sliding Scale Couples Therapy
Atlanta’s Mercer University School of Medicine, through its Mercer Family Therapy Center, offers Sliding Scale couples therapy. A Sliding Scale is a discount fee structure that considers the client’s ability to pay. Mercer’s couples therapy sessions cost between $5 and $65 per session, based on family size, net worth and income. Even if you cannot afford the sliding scale fee at Mercer, no client will be turned away. Yes, you read that correctly: no client will be refused service due to inability to pay.
Fortunately, the standards that Georgia counselors are required to meet in order to become licensed creates low-cost opportunities for couples on a budget.
Low Cost Couples Therapy in Atlanta
Richmont University, through its Hope Counseling Center, offers a sliding scale fee structure at all of its eight locations. It’s only $50 or less to see an intern, depending on your ability to pay.
Another low-cost option is the Link Counseling Center, with two locations in the Atlanta area. Link offers intern sessions at a discount.
You can pay it forward and support Link Counseling Center’s low-cost therapy efforts with a donation.
Therapy doesn’t have to blow up your budget, but it can be worth it to pay something and sacrifice some other expenses because there’s a psychological benefit to investing in the process and having some “skin in the game.”
If you don’t think you can afford couples counseling, I offer a 10-minute, free phone session. Let’s discuss your situation.