How much does couples therapy cost in Michigan?

Picture two people at a kitchen table in Grand Rapids, laptop open, toggling between a therapist’s website and their checking account. One of them says, “We need help.” The other says, “Can we afford it?” Both questions are fair. This page gives you real, dated numbers, explains what moves the price up or down, and shows the lower-cost routes many Michigan couples never hear about.

What is the typical cost of couples therapy per session?

There is no official fee survey for couples therapy in Michigan, so the most honest answer comes from a few published guides, each with a date:

• ChoosingTherapy (updated August 7, 2026) says to expect $100 to $250 per session, with an average of around $150, and upwards of $250 to $300 per hour in higher cost-of-living areas.
• Psychology Today (updated September 28, 2026) notes the average cost of therapy in the U.S. is not known precisely, but many clinicians charge $100 to $200 per session.
• Thervo’s Detroit couples and marriage counseling listings (2026) quote $120 to $250 per in-person session and $90 to $230 for virtual sessions. The same range appears on Thervo pages for other Michigan cities, so treat it as a directory estimate rather than a local survey.

Put together, a standard couples session in Michigan commonly lands somewhere between about $100 and $250. Your actual quote depends on the factors below.

What makes couples therapy cost more or less?

The therapist’s credential and experience

ChoosingTherapy notes that psychologists may charge more than master’s-level clinicians (though not always) and that rates tend to rise with years in practice. Michigan licenses several kinds of therapists who see couples, including marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, master’s social workers and psychologists. Our guide to therapist credentials explains how they differ.

Session length

Many couples therapists offer longer sessions. ChoosingTherapy reports some offer sessions of up to 90 to 120 minutes and that therapists who see both individuals and couples may charge $50 to $100 more per hour for couples work. A 90-minute session will cost more than a 50-minute one, even at the same hourly rate.

Location and setting

ChoosingTherapy notes that therapists in private practice typically charge the highest fees and that prices vary widely by cost of living. A practice in downtown Ann Arbor and one in a small Upper Peninsula town may price very differently.

How many sessions you need

The total cost is the per-session fee multiplied by the number of sessions, and that number varies from couple to couple. A good therapist will talk with you about goals and pacing early on, so ask how they think about length of treatment.

Does insurance lower the cost?

Sometimes, but couples therapy is a tricky fit for insurance. Most plans pay for treatment of a diagnosed mental health condition, and relationship distress on its own usually is not one. Michigan’s own Medicaid program has stated plainly that marriage counseling is not a Medicaid covered service. We cover the details, including medical necessity, out-of-network benefits and Michigan payers, in does insurance cover couples therapy.

If you do plan to use insurance, Psychology Today recommends confirming the therapist’s in-network status with both the office and your insurer, checking your copay, deductible and coinsurance, and asking whether prior authorization or visit limits apply.

Plans that can be billed for sessions with Iryna

If you are considering working with Iryna Morhunova-Sutton, LLMFT, her sessions can be billed through her group practice’s billing system to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Care Network, Aetna, Cofinity, Medicare, United Behavioral Health (UBH), Optum, ASR Health Benefits and Priority Health. Your actual cost then depends on your plan’s deductible, copay or coinsurance, and on whether your plan covers couples or family sessions, so verify your benefits before you start. See using your insurance for therapy for plan-by-plan details. If you pay on your own, you have the right to a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges.

Superbills and out-of-network benefits

Many therapists do not take insurance. If your plan has out-of-network mental health benefits, you can ask the therapist for a superbill (an itemized receipt with billing codes) and submit it yourself. Whether you get anything back depends on your plan and on whether the service qualifies as covered care.

HSA and FSA dollars

IRS Publication 502 lets people count amounts paid for therapy received as medical treatment, and payments to a psychologist for medical care, as medical expenses. Whether a particular couples session qualifies depends on whether it is medical care, so check with your plan administrator before relying on HSA or FSA funds.

How can couples in Michigan find lower-cost or free counseling?

• Sliding scale fees. Psychology Today notes some therapists reserve a limited number of reduced-fee spots based on income. Ask during the first call.
• Open Path Collective. This nonprofit network lists U.S. couples and family sessions at $40 to $80 after a one-time $65 membership fee, for people who are uninsured or underinsured with household income below $100,000 (rates as published on its site, October 2026).
• Training clinics and supervised clinicians. Graduate programs and agencies often offer care from clinicians who are completing supervised hours, sometimes at lower rates. In Michigan, that includes limited licensees such as an LLMFT.
• Community mental health centers. Many offer services based on income or ability to pay.
• Your employer’s EAP. If you have an employee assistance program, ask whether it includes any free counseling sessions and whether couples can use them.

Is premarital counseling priced differently?

Premarital work is often shorter and more structured than couples therapy for an ongoing problem, so the total cost may be lower even when the per-session fee is the same. Ask about the number of sessions up front. Learn more about premarital counseling.

Questions to ask before you book

1. What is your fee for a couples session, and how long is a session?
2. Do you offer a sliding scale or any reduced-fee openings?
3. Are you in network with my plan, or can you provide a superbill?
4. What is your cancellation policy?
5. How do you usually think about the length of couples work?

Money can be a tender subject for couples, so the cost conversation itself can become a first, small act of teamwork. If you are weighing whether therapy is worth the investment, our look at whether couples therapy works covers what the research shows. When you’re ready, read about couples therapy and reach out to ask about current fees directly.