Relationship Counselling - Portland? (insurance, how much, live in)

[sena2go]

Hello,

We live in Bay area. Our close friends (a couple) live in Portland, OR. They have been going through a difficult marriage. We are trying to help but nothing is working. Wife is planning to move out. We are afraid that this step will just make their relationship worse.

Can anyone please recommend some relationship counselor in Portland area? How much is the cost in Portland area for each session?

Thanks,
-Sena

[Annilyna]

My sister is a licensed psychologist and she has recommended PsychologyToday.com as a good starting point to find any psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist, when I was searching for one. There are filters on there that you can use to narrow your search for specialities, therapy approaches, location, acceptance of different insurance, etc.

Though, I would say that your close friends should be the ones who actively search for someone who best fits them, and what they are comfortable with, as a relationship or counseling therapist should be someone they could work with. Good luck to your friends.

[Leisesturm]

Well... you are correct, her moving out will likely not make things "better" for the marriage. But... it must be said, the time to have brought this up was long before things reached this point. So... let it go. Let her go. You can be friends to them apart and maybe steer them back together, but maybe not. I don't have nearly enough backstory to make that judgement. But you should. What does your gut say about their chances? Be honest with yourself. Really. Do they need to spend $75/hr on top of whatever else they are dealing with? Is it likely to help?

H

Originally Posted by sena2go

Hello,

We live in Bay area. Our close friends (a couple) live in Portland, OR. They have been going through a difficult marriage. We are trying to help but nothing is working. Wife is planning to move out. We are afraid that this step will just make their relationship worse.

Can anyone please recommend some relationship counselor in Portland area? How much is the cost in Portland area for each session?

Thanks,
-Sena

[Annilyna]

As long as both parties are willing to try to make the marriage work (honestly try), marriage counselling CAN work. However if only one party is willing and the other is just "being dragged along", it will almost certainly fail.

[oldtintype]

Have these people even ASKED for the help? I'd be pretty peeved if other people were setting up counseling for me if I hadn't asked for it. I assume they're adults who can make their own decisions? It's a nice gesture but marriage counseling needs to be something they do on their own, not something you help them into.

[MonicaRae]

Sena2Go, you may already have this, but here is a link to the Oregon Marriage and Family Therepists Association you can check out until someone who has a personal recommendation for you responds:

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy - Oregon Division - Home

There are a lot of people in these forums, do continue to check your post, someone who has a recommendation may come forth, or contact you directly rather than post publicly.

Best to you!

[sena2go]

Thank you all for your comments, links and advices! I am going to forward the links to them and hopefully things will be better between them soon.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! You guys are wonderful help!

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

Have these people even ASKED for the help? I'd be pretty peeved if other people were setting up counseling for me if I hadn't asked for it. I assume they're adults who can make their own decisions? It's a nice gesture but marriage counseling needs to be something they do on their own, not something you help them into.

Yes, I would be livid if family and friends interfered in my personal business. It's not like calling CPS for child abuse...this is their personal relationship. Off limits, IMO.