Marriage counseling and couples therapy in Lansing

Picture a November Saturday in East Lansing. The game is on at a friend’s house, everyone is in green, and the two of you are smiling in the photos. On the drive home down Michigan Avenue, nobody talks. Later, in the kitchen, it comes out: the money, the schedules, the feeling of being alone together. If you are searching for marriage counseling in Lansing, you may be at exactly that point, still caring about each other but worn out by the same loop.

This guide is organized around a choice Lansing-area couples have that many Michigan cities do not: a university training clinic devoted to couple and family therapy a few miles away, alongside private practices and online sessions. It covers how that clinic works, how to weigh it against the alternatives, and what kinds of couples’ pressures are common here.

New to the idea? Our couples therapy overview explains what sessions involve, and the marriage counseling page covers how the two terms overlap.

Inside the MSU Couple and Family Therapy Clinic

The MSU Couple and Family Therapy Clinic in East Lansing serves individuals, couples, families and groups from the Greater Lansing area on a sliding fee scale of $20 to $80 per session, based mainly on income and the number of dependents. Sessions are provided by graduate-level student therapists in Michigan State University’s couple and family therapy program, under the supervision of licensed faculty who are AAMFT Approved Supervisors. The clinic offers in-person service only, and openings can be limited, so ask about a waitlist when you call 517-432-2272.

For couples, that combination is unusual: therapists whose entire graduate training centers on relationships, close faculty oversight, and a fee that can be a fraction of private rates. The trade-offs are clinic hours, a drive to campus, and the possibility that your therapist will change when a student graduates.

The MSU Psychological Clinic (517-355-9564) also lists couples therapy among its services, and Catholic Charities of Ingham, Eaton and Clinton Counties (517-372-4700) runs a sliding-fee counseling center in Lansing focused on parenting and family programs.

Training clinic, private practice or video: weighing the three

Each route has real strengths. A training clinic offers low fees and close supervision, but sessions are in person during clinic hours and may involve a wait. A private practice may offer more scheduling flexibility and a therapist with years of focused couples experience, usually at a higher fee; our Michigan cost guide explains what drives those fees, and this page on insurance covers what to ask a state or university health plan. Online sessions remove the drive across town, which helps when one partner works in Okemos, the other in Delta Township and the kids’ activities are somewhere in between.

There is no single right answer. Pick the route you can both show up for consistently, because steady attendance tends to matter more than the perfect setting. If you want to know what to expect from the work itself, our summary of couples therapy research is a good place to start.

Legislative weeks, remarriage and the MSU calendar

Lansing couples often carry a particular mix of pressures:

• Capitol crunch weeks. Partners who work for the state, a lobbying firm or a legislative office can disappear into long session days and budget deadlines, leaving the other partner to hold everything else.
• Second marriages. With a higher share of divorced residents than the county or state, some Lansing couples are on a second marriage, blending children, ex-partners and finances. Stepcouples often benefit from talking early about discipline, money and loyalty.
• Two people, one campus. Graduate students, postdocs and faculty couples at MSU juggle teaching loads, fieldwork and the question of where both careers can land.
• Overnight shifts. Hospital and plant schedules can leave couples with almost no shared evenings.

None of these means a relationship is in trouble. They are common textures of life here, and a therapist who understands them can save you time explaining.

Sorting the Lansing-area couples therapist list

On October 7, 2026, the federal NPI Registry listed 28 records with the Marriage & Family Therapist taxonomy and a Lansing practice address, 27 in East Lansing and 22 in Okemos, so most couples have real choice within a short drive. Our guide to finding a couples therapist lists questions to ask, including how a therapist works with stepfamilies. The credentials explainer covers the licenses, and a LARA lookup confirms status before you book.

Online couples sessions with Iryna across Greater Lansing

Iryna Morhunova-Sutton, LLMFT, is a Limited Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Michigan who works with couples, individuals and families. She is based in Troy and works online only; she has no office and offers no in-person sessions. For couples in Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos and the surrounding townships, that means meeting from home on an evening that works for both shifts. You both need to be physically in Michigan during each session. Couples who strongly prefer meeting face to face may want to start with the MSU clinic or a local private practice. Learn more about online couples therapy in Michigan.

It is okay if only one of you is ready to reach out. When you are, request an appointment, or visit the Lansing therapy guide for individual and family options.