Intro
If you’re here, you’re probably asking yourself some version of this:
Is this actually worth it?
Will it help us?
And what does this really cost—financially and emotionally?
Let’s walk through the most common questions we hear from couples every week.
Is marriage counseling worth it?
Let’s start with a practical comparison: the cost of divorce.
If you go the lawyer route, you could easily spend tens of thousands of dollars—sometimes much more.
That doesn’t include the emotional cost, the disruption to your family, or the long-term financial impact of splitting assets and rebuilding two separate lives.
Marriage counseling, on the other hand, is designed to help you interrupt that trajectory before it becomes irreversible.
We recently had a client tell us:
“Without your help, we wouldn’t be together anymore. Period.” — B & G
From that perspective alone, the cost is worth it.
There’s also the health factor.
Ongoing conflict, resentment, and emotional disconnection don’t just stay in your relationship—they live in your body.
Chronic relational stress is linked to poorer health outcomes and shorter longevity.
If you want strong evidence, check out the Harvard Study of Adult Development. One of their most famous talks is “What Makes a Good Life?”
The brief version: the quality of our close relationships is more important than almost anything else.
"The study even found that married people lived longer—an average of 5-12 years longer for women, and 7-17 years longer for men."
How much does marriage counseling cost?
At Colorado Relationship Recovery, sessions range from $220 to $170 per hour, depending on the format and clinician.
That’s still significantly less expensive than hiring a divorce attorney—and far less costly than living for years in a tense, disconnected relationship.
Can I get on a brief soapbox?
If not, feel free to skip this paragraph.
To become a licensed therapist, you must earn a graduate degree, complete thousands of supervised clinical hours, and participate in ongoing training. Despite that, therapists remain one of the lowest-paid professions relative to their education level.
End soapbox.
If you read that and thought, “Not my problem—you chose this profession,” you’re right. It’s not your problem.
I just want you to know this: working with a trained marriage counselor offers real value—especially if it helps protect your relationship, your health, and your family.
How long does marriage counseling last?
I wish I could give a clean, one-size-fits-all answer.
The honest answer is that it depends on the foundation of your relationship.
If there are deep cracks—such as long-standing resentment, betrayal, or chronic emotional shutdown—it may take longer to stabilize things.
If the foundation is strong but covered in bad habits and miscommunication, progress can happen much faster.
At Colorado Relationship Recovery, we work deliberately and effectively. Once the foundation is set, it typically takes months, not years.
Our goal isn’t endless therapy. It’s real change.
Do you take sides?
In Relational Life Therapy (RLT), there’s a core idea I strongly agree with:
Not all relationship problems are 50/50.
Some behaviors are more damaging than others, and they need to be addressed first so there’s enough safety and stability to work on everything else.
Another way to say this is: We don’t take sides—we side with the Wise Adult part of each partner.
That’s the part of you that can:
- Take responsibility
- Be flexible
- Be Vulnerable
- Show empathy
- Set boundaries
- Stand up for yourself with love
Our job is to support, strengthen, and train that part of you—because that’s the version of you your relationship actually needs.
Do you recommend relationship counseling?
If I said no, it would be like a farmer saying they don’t believe in crops.
So yes, of course I recommend it.
Part of why I became a marriage counselor is because I’ve experienced both effective and ineffective counseling firsthand.
I wanted to develop something different: therapy that is straightforward, insightful, and delivers real results.
At the very least, working with a trained professional creates intentional time for the two of you.
Life is busy. Kids, work, stress, and distractions build up quickly.
For many couples, the only time they truly slow down and talk honestly is in our offices.
Our goal, however, isn’t to make you rely on therapy. It’s to help you develop your own framework for connection—so you can continue growing long after counseling ends.
Do you recommend it for us?
Honestly? Yes.
Every relationship benefits from counseling—even strong ones. Being in a long-term relationship is hard. We’re all human. And we’re all annoying sometimes.
I often share this with couples:
“At times, my wife thinks I’m annoying—and I think she’s annoying.” — Jason
That’s normal.
What matters is having the tools to:
- Communicate effectively
- Understand what makes your partner feel loved
- Recognize what triggers disconnection
- Repair quickly when things go sideways
Those are learnable skills. And learning and doing them changes everything.
Reach out today, schedule a free consult, to have more connection and intimacy in your relationship!