Relate
The UK's best-known relationship support charity.
In person · Phone · Online · England and Wales
Relationship counselling before or during separation
Relationship counselling gives you time with a trained counsellor to talk about what has gone wrong, together or on your own. It doesn't assume you will stay together. Many people use it to decide whether to separate, or to separate with less conflict once they have decided.
9 organisations listed. Listings are for information, not endorsements. Details can change, so check with each organisation.
Relationship counselling organisations
Tavistock Relationships
Specialist couple and relationship therapy charity.
In person · Online · UK (in person in London)
Marriage Care
Relationship counselling charity for couples and individuals.
In person · Online · Phone · England and Wales
Relate NI
Counselling, co-parenting support and family mediation across Northern Ireland.
In person · Online · Phone · Northern Ireland
COSRT: Find a therapist
Find a relationship or psychosexual therapist registered with COSRT.
Online · UK
Accord NI
Couples counselling from nine centres across Northern Ireland.
In person · Phone · Northern Ireland
FamilyLine (Family Action)
Free helpline for adults worried about any family issue, including relationships and conflict.
Phone · Online · England and Wales
OnePlusOne: Getting it Right for Children
Free online course to help separated parents communicate and reduce conflict.
Online · England and Wales (through some local councils)
Pink Therapy
Directory of LGBTQ+ affirmative therapists across the UK.
Online · UK
Filter relationship counselling by where you live, cost and how to get help
When is relationship counselling worth trying?
It helps most before anyone has applied for a divorce, or when one of you is unsure. If your partner won't come, individual sessions can still help you work out what you want. Some services also offer family counselling for when children are finding the change hard.
If you feel unsafe with your partner, speak to a domestic abuse service before you book joint sessions.
How much does relationship counselling cost?
Fees vary between services and areas, so ask before you book. Relate and Marriage Care are charities. Marriage Care published a £30 registration fee and sessions from £40 when we checked in October 2026. Private counsellors set their own rates, so ask what each session costs and how many sessions they usually suggest.
How to choose a counsellor
Check that the counsellor belongs to a professional body with a public register, such as the BACP Register, and ask whether they have worked with couples who are separating. Online sessions help if you no longer live together. In Northern Ireland, Relate NI also offers co-parenting support and family mediation.
Guides that may help
Other kinds of help
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Facts checked 20 October 2026.
Need urgent help? If you're in immediate danger, call 999. Free domestic abuse helplines, open 24 hours: in England 0808 2000 247 (Refuge, for women), in Wales 0808 80 10 800, in Scotland 0800 027 1234 and in Northern Ireland 0808 802 1414. Men can call the Men's Advice Line on 0808 801 0327, weekdays. Samaritans: 116 123.