How to Choose a Couples Therapist in Cleveland, Ohio

By Anjelica M. Nelson, M.Ed, LPCC-S, IMFT-S · Last updated: October 1, 2026

Choosing a couples therapist usually happens at a hard moment. Many therapists in Cleveland and across Ohio have websites that sound alike, so this guide covers what is actually worth comparing: the license, the training, how a therapist works, what the money side looks like, and how it feels to talk with them. Use it with any therapist you are considering, including us.

Start with the license

In Ohio, only licensed clinicians can use titles like Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) or Independent Marriage and Family Therapist (IMFT). The State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & Marriage and Family Therapist Board issues both, and its license look-up is free and public. Psychologists, who also see couples, are licensed by a different Ohio board.

LPCC-S and IMFT-S in plain terms

• LPCC is the independent license for professional counselors. Counseling training is usually broad, covering individuals, families, and groups.
• IMFT is the independent license for marriage and family therapists. This training is built around relationships and family systems.
• The "-S" is a training supervision designation. It means the clinician has met the Board's requirements to supervise people who are working toward licensure. It does not tell you how much couples work a therapist does, so treat it as one data point, not a ranking.

Either license can be a good starting point. What matters more is training and experience in couples work.

How to check a license in Ohio

1. Open the Ohio eLicense License Look-Up.
2. Select the Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board.
3. Choose "Individual" and enter the therapist's first and last name. The Board notes the search works best with just those two.
4. Open the record and look at the license type, the status, and whether any board action is listed. The Board says its online verification shows all three.
5. If a website's credentials don't match the record, ask the therapist before you book.

The Board explains the process on its license verification page.

Look for training in couples work, not just a license

A license shows that a clinician met the state's requirements to practice. It doesn't show what they do every week. Ohio's rules for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists say a licensee should claim skills in a specialty area only after appropriate education, training, and peer consultation (OAC 4757-5-02).

So ask plainly: How much of your caseload is couples, and what training do you have for it? A useful answer is specific. It names a method, says where it was learned, and explains how it shapes a session.

Questions to ask before you book

• What does a typical course of couples therapy look like with you, and how will we know whether it's working?
• How much of your work is with couples, and what training do you have for it?
• What happens when one of us tells you something privately? Is there a written policy?
• Have you worked with situations like ours, such as an affair or one partner unsure about staying?
• Will you be comfortable working with who we are, including our culture, faith, orientation, or gender identity?
• What are your fees, cancellation policy, and payment process, in writing?
• How long are sessions, and how often do we meet?

Ohio's rules say a therapist seeing a couple should clarify with everyone the nature of their professional obligations to each client, including the limits of confidentiality (OAC 4757-5-02). If a therapist can't explain how they handle private information from one partner, that's worth knowing before you begin.

Red flags

• Promises or guarantees. No therapist can promise that a relationship will be saved, or that it will end.
• Taking sides. In couples work, both partners are the client.
• Vague answers about training, credentials, or how sessions work.
• Unclear costs or policies that you only learn about after you've started.
• Dismissing a safety concern. If there is violence, fear, or coercive control, a good therapist will want to talk about that privately before joint sessions.
• Judgment about who you are. You shouldn't have to defend your identity to get help.

What a first session usually looks like

Formats vary, but most first sessions include consent paperwork, each partner describing what brought you in and what you hope will change, questions about your history and what you've already tried, and an explanation of how the therapist works and how confidentiality works for a couple.

You probably won't leave with a fix. You should leave with a clearer picture of the problem and a sense of the plan. Feeling nervous is normal.

At Rising Rose, the path is: a free 15-minute fit call, intake paperwork, an 80-minute joint session, a session with each partner, and then weekly sessions built around a map of your relationship. The couples therapy page walks through each step, and what to expect as a new client covers the paperwork.

In-person or telehealth?

Both can work. The better choice is usually practical.

• In person may suit you if you don't have a private space at home, if you find it hard to focus on a screen, or if you prefer to be in the room.
• Telehealth may suit you if schedules, commutes, or kids make a weekly office visit hard, or if good couples care is far from where you live.

Whichever you choose, ask where you each need to be during a session, how privacy is protected, and what happens if the connection drops. Ohio's rules also say therapists who provide services electronically must tell clients about the limitations and risks.

Rising Rose is telehealth-only. Both partners need to be physically in Ohio for every session. See online couples therapy in Ohio for the practical details.

Cost, insurance, and cash-pay: what to ask

• Insurance practices: Which plans do you accept? Does my plan cover couples sessions? Is a diagnosis required? Ask your plan as well as the therapist.
• Cash-pay practices: What is the fee for each session length? What is the late-cancellation policy? Do you accept HSA or FSA cards? Can I get a superbill, which is an itemized receipt you may be able to submit to your plan for out-of-network reimbursement? Reimbursement depends on your plan and is never guaranteed.
• A Good Faith Estimate: Under the federal No Surprises Act, providers must give uninsured and self-pay clients one. See the CMS overview.

Cash-pay doesn't fit every budget. A practice that takes your insurance may be the right choice, and that is a legitimate way to decide. Rising Rose is cash-pay, accepts HSA and FSA cards, and provides superbills on request. Current fees are on the fees page.

When to consider discernment counseling

Sometimes one partner is leaning out of the relationship while the other wants to work on it. Regular couples therapy assumes both people want to try, so it can stall. Discernment counseling is a separate, short-term approach designed for these "mixed-agenda" couples. As described by its developers, it usually runs one to five sessions, with much of the work in separate conversations with each partner. The goal is clarity about three paths: keep things as they are, separate or divorce, or commit to a set period of couples therapy (Doherty, Harris & Wilde, 2016). It is not designed to repair the relationship during those sessions. How any therapist runs it can differ, so ask about their training in the model. Our page on discernment counseling has more. It isn't appropriate when there is violence or when one partner is being pressured to attend.

When couples therapy may not be the right first step

If you are afraid of your partner, or there has been violence or control, a joint session may not be safe. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-7233 and thehotline.org. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. In an emotional crisis, call or text 988.

Try a short conversation first

A 15-minute call tells you a lot. At Rising Rose, the fit call is free. You describe what's happening, Anjelica M. Nelson, M.Ed, LPCC-S, IMFT-S, asks a few questions, and she tells you honestly whether she thinks she can help. If it isn't the right fit, she'll say so. You can read more about Anjelica first, or request a free 15-minute fit call when you're ready. See our approach to couples therapy for how the work unfolds.

Frequently asked questions

How many sessions will we need?

It depends on what you're working on, and a therapist can't know that in advance. Ask how they decide, and how often they'll check in with you about whether it's helping.

What if only one of us wants to go?

Couples therapy generally works best when both partners take part. If one of you is unsure, say so on a fit call. Short-term discernment counseling exists for exactly this situation.

Is it okay to talk to more than one therapist first?

Yes. Many therapists offer a brief call so you can ask questions before committing to a first session.

Do I need a therapist in Cleveland?

For telehealth, you need a therapist licensed in Ohio, and you both need to be in Ohio during sessions. If you want to meet in an office, ask where the therapist's office is.

This guide is general information, not therapy or medical advice. If you are in danger, call 988 or 911.