Divorce is hard. Whether you are considering divorce, going through the process, or are recovering from a divorce, you might need a little extra help and support, and online divorce counseling can be just the thing. As a licensed social worker and former therapist, I know firsthand that sometimes, it’s best to work things out with the help of a professional—and online therapy is a convenient, accessible, and often affordable way to do so. Here, I’ve compiled a list of the best online divorce counseling services, so that no matter where you are in your divorce journey, you can find the right company for your needs.
The Types of Divorce Counseling
Divorce counseling can come in many forms, depending on you and your family’s needs. Here are some of the types of counseling you might consider, and some of the types you’ll find on this list.
- Couples therapy: Using a service like Regain, Growing Self, or Thriveworks, you and your partner can discuss the possibility of divorce and work through what that might look like. A trained mediator can help minimize conflict and bring you both to a decision.
- Discernment counseling: This type of therapy is specifically devoted to deciding whether or not to divorce. You can work through divorce individually or as a couple, with your therapist guiding you through not just the actual process of divorce, but all the emotions and life changes that come with it. You might seek support around co-parenting during or after a divorce, which can also be part of divorce counseling.
- Divorce coaching: This focuses more on goal-setting and practical solutions to problems arising because of your divorce.
- Support groups: Talking with peers can help you learn new coping skills as you navigate divorce and feel less alone as you are surrounded by people going through the same challenges.
- Psychiatry: Some people might need extra mental health support during or after a divorce, so online therapy companies that offer psychiatry services as well can come in handy. If you are experiencing heightened anxiety or depression as you go through your divorce, meeting with a psychiatrist who can prescribe medication to manage your symptoms can be helpful.
No matter what concerns or problems arise before, during, or after a divorce, the companies listed here that provide online divorce counseling offer convenient and effective ways to tackle all things divorce-related.
What to Expect from Online Divorce Counseling
- Who is it for? People who are considering divorce, are going through a divorce, or who have just gotten divorced. If a divorce is causing you to be anxious or depressed, or if you need help processing complicated feelings around your divorce, divorce counseling might be right for you.
- How much does it cost? The services on this list range from a low $15 monthly fee to up to $200 or more per therapy session.
- Will insurance cover it? Maybe. Many of these companies accept insurance. But while individual therapy is often covered by insurance, couples therapy usually is not.
- How do we meet? Via video, audio, or text-based sessions. Depending on the service you are using, such as couples or discernment counseling or counseling for your children, you might want to attend therapy sessions with your ex- or soon-to-be-ex-partner or your kids.
- Is it confidential? Be sure to read through any company’s privacy policy to better understand whether it is HIPAA-compliant (HIPAA is the law that protects personal health information) and whether it shares any private information with third parties; we recommend opting out of data collection.
- What’s the time commitment? The sessions offered by the companies listed here range from 30 minutes to an hour or more—make sure to pick a service whose time commitment per session feels both manageable and comprehensive enough to dig into the issues that are bringing you to therapy. Most of these companies offer weekly services, but it’s also sometimes possible to meet biweekly or even monthly, depending on your needs.
How I Review Online Therapy Services
I’ve spent years testing and surveying real therapy users and reviewing their experiences to help rate and share the best online therapy services. You can see a full breakdown of our online therapy research and testing process on Verywell Mind. Here is an overview of how I capture and evaluate firsthand experience and survey data.
I had 65 different people sign up for talk therapy with all 55 online therapy companies reviewed. Over the past three years, I’ve published 153 reviews (here are our reviews for BetterHelp and Talkspace, for instance). I had my testers try out each company’s therapy services, and if the company offered other services (like couples therapy and kid or teen therapy) we tested those too.
I asked each tester to try each service for at least a month, which usually meant between two and six sessions at each company. I also asked testers to switch therapists partway through, if possible, in order to get a holistic idea of the offerings and quality of each company. My testers were located all across the United States and abroad, meaning I gained extensive information about each company’s services in a variety of areas.
To compile this list, I investigated online therapy companies that specifically said they offer services and support for divorce or divorce-related issues. I also researched other divorce-related online resources and looked into their specialties.
I surveyed more than 8,000 therapy clients who are currently using one of the 55 online therapy companies tested or who had used one in the recent past, as well as users of 27 different online therapy directories. I asked users to evaluate each company’s services, from their therapist’s qualifications to whether they found a therapist who met all their needs to how they’d rate the company overall—all told, I gathered 350 different data points.
Compare Our Top Picks
Best for Couples Counseling
Regain
Best for Couples Counseling Regain
Regain.us
See Retailer
$70-$100 per week, billed as a monthly subscription
No
Couples therapy, individual relationship counseling
Video, phone, messaging
Best for Guidance Through Divorce
Growing Self
Best for Guidance Through Divorce Growing Self
growingself
See Retailer
$85-$170 per session
No
Individual therapy, couples therapy, divorce counseling, coaching
Video
Best for Counseling Kids Through Divorce
Thriveworks
Best for Counseling Kids Through Divorce Thriveworks
thriveworks
See Retailer
$200-$240 for intake sessions, $160-$195 for follow-up sessions
Yes
Individual therapy, couples therapy, teen therapy, child therapy, family therapy, psychiatry/medication management
Video, phone, in-person
Best for LGBTQIA and BIPOC
Inclusive Therapists
Best for LGBTQIA and BIPOC Inclusive Therapists
inclusivetherapists
See Retailer
Varies by provider
Varies by provider
Individual therapy, couples therapy, child therapy, teen therapy, family therapy, coaching, medication management
Varies by provider
Best for Anxiety and Depression
Brightside
Best for Anxiety and Depression Brightside
brightside
See Retailer
$95-$349 per month, billed as a monthly subscription
Yes
Individual therapy, teen therapy, psychiatry/medication management
Video, unlimited messaging
Best for Psychiatry
Talkiatry
Best for Psychiatry Talkiatry
talkiatry
See Retailer
Varies depending on copay
Yes
Psychiatry/medication management, individual therapy, teen therapy, child therapy
Video
Best for Group Support
Circles
Best for Group Support Circles
circlesup
See Retailer
$29 per month for monthly subscription, $21.50 per month for six-month subscription, $14.90 per month for annual subscription
No
Group support
Audio
Full Review
Paying for Online Divorce Counseling
The cost of the online divorce counseling services listed here range from $15 per month (for group support) to over $200 per therapy session, with lots in between.
Some of the companies on this list, such as Regain and Circles, offer monthly subscriptions that you pay out-of-pocket; other companies, like Thriveworks and Growing Self, accept insurance, so your fee will depend on your insurance plan if the services you are seeking are covered. It’s important to note, though, that most insurance providers do not cover couples therapy unless a mental health diagnosis is involved (as in, you or your partner are seeking therapy services because of an already diagnosed mental health condition). This can also be true of discernment or divorce counseling. Check with your insurance company and the online therapy company you are interested in to make sure you understand which services are covered by insurance and which are not.
Online therapy directories, such as Inclusive Therapists, allow you to search for providers who accept your specific insurance plan; Inclusive Therapists also lets you filter your results by providers who offer sliding scale fees. This can help you find a therapist who you know is affordable for you.
Why Trust Verywell Mind
Hannah Owens is Verywell Mind’s Mental Health Editor. Hannah is a licensed social worker with a clinical background in community mental health. She’s worked at programs treating those with serious mental illness, providing both individual and group therapy. In her time at Verywell Mind, Hannah has designed and run years of online therapy testing, overseeing and editing reviews of the top online therapy companies out there and writing and editing roundups of the best online therapy services based on our extensive and thorough testing. Hannah brings her unique combination of both clinical and editorial expertise to her work for Verywell Mind.
- Licensed social worker since 2019
- Clinical background in community mental health
- Specializes in serious mental illness
- Believes in the mission of online therapy to make mental healthcare more accessible
