Relationship counselling
From Monday 27th November 2023, Marriage Care will be moving from a donation only counselling service to a
low-cost fee counselling service where you can make additional voluntary donations.
We will still ask for a non-refundable registration fee of £25.
The fee per counselling session will be £25.
This makes us the lowest-cost provider of relationship counselling nationally.
However, no one will be turned away if they can’t afford to pay.
Bearing in mind that it costs us £65 for each session that we provide,
we do invite and welcome donations above the fixed fee from those who feel able to do so.
Your fees and donations pay for the support system that enables our counsellors
to work with you.This includes appointments staff, initial and ongoing training for our counsellors, and their supervision.
Marriage Care is a registered charity. We do not receive any Government Funding and rely
on clients’ generosity and fundraising efforts to maintain our service.
All relationships have ups and downs. Sometimes, though, things can get a bit stuck and it’s hard to find a positive solution. That’s when relationship counselling can help with support from a skilled couples relationship counsellor, It can make all the difference. Whether you are feeling things just aren’t quite right or whether you are encountering serious difficulties in your marriage or relationship, we are here to listen and to support you towards a positive improved outcome.
As one client said:
“Counselling gave us time and space to talk without arguing, and the chance to discuss how each other was feeling.”
Marriage Care has been supporting couple relationships for over 70 years. We have about 140 counsellors offering their time and expertise at venues across England and Wales, with one centre in Gibraltar. All of our counsellors have gone through a formal selection and training process. They receive regular supervision and are committed to ongoing professional development to ensure we maintain good practice.
We deliver relationship counselling through one or more 50 minute sessions with you and your partner, or you may register individually if you prefer. Sessions are currently offered online or face to face at a small number of our centres. If you are register to attend alone, telephone counselling is also available to you. There will be a regular weekly appointment made for the same day and time each week. Our sessions are recorded with your consent, for supervision, training and personal development purposes (anonymised). The number of counselling sessions you have will be agreed between you and your counsellor; usually up to eighteen sessions. We are not a long term counselling service.
Marriage Care is a registered charity. We charge an initial £25 non-refundable registration fee. We ask all counselling clients to pay a £25 fee, plus an additional donation towards the cost of £65 per session, wherever possible. We will never turn you away because you cannot afford to give very much. If you are a UK taxpayer and able to Gift Aid your donations, please indicate this on the survey we send you as part of the registration process.
Read more about making your contribution here
Register for Relationship Counselling
For on-line (Zoom) counselling sessions: You will require access to a computer, laptop or tablet with a stable internet connection in a private environment, so you are not overheard or interrupted by children, pets etc. Couples will need to be in the same location and using the same device.
For Telephone counselling sessions (only available for those requiring counselling on their own): You will need to use a landline and to be in a private environment so you are not overheard or interrupted.
Our registration process requires you to complete an on-line registration form, including making the £25 payment by credit or debit card. You and your partner will then receive an email with a short survey to complete that helps us understand more about you and the relationship difficulties you are experiencing. PLEASE NOTE: You will NOT be placed on the waiting list until the surveys have been received. If you register as an individual without your partner the survey will be sent just to you.
You are also welcome to view our relationship counselling FAQs .