Ours Premarital Counseling: Tried and Tested in 2023

Introduction

After four years of togetherness, months of pandemic quarantine, and numerous life changes, my partner and I felt confident in our relationship and excited about marriage. However, like many couples, we faced unproductive communication patterns and sought premarital counseling to address these before tying the knot.

What is Ours?

Ours is an online couples counseling platform exclusively designed for unmarried couples, those considering marriage, engaged couples, and married couples. It offers a combination of traditional talk therapy and interactive online learning activities. Previously, Ours offered self-guided "Loveware" sessions, but this has been phased out. Now, it provides live video sessions with licensed therapists.

Pricing

Ours currently provides three therapy session plans:

• $200 per session (purchased a la carte)
• $180 per session for a four-session package ($720 total)
• $150 per session for a monthly subscription (four sessions per month at $600 per month)

There's also a discounted first session for $50.

Sign-up Process

The sign-up process involves a brief quiz about the couple's preferences and needs. However, the website is minimal in terms of information about the therapists. After the quiz, therapist matches are sent via email. Couples can choose their therapist from the options provided.

Forms and Questionnaires

Upon sign-up, couples are required to fill out standard questionnaires about their relationship and personal backgrounds. Additionally, there are self-assessment questionnaires for PTSD and adult ADHD, although the purpose of these is unclear.

Therapy Sessions

Ours provides live video sessions with therapists. These sessions are HIPAA-compliant and can be conducted over the phone if necessary. The therapists are licensed and engaged, and they provide individualized attention to each couple.

Technological Issues

During our experience with Ours, we encountered several technological difficulties, such as issues with Zoom links, miscommunication between the therapist and Ours customer service, and phone calls instead of video sessions due to the glitches.

Loveware (Self-Guided Sessions)

Ours previously offered self-guided "Loveware" sessions, which consisted of learning modules and activities for couples to practice together. While we found them helpful in some ways, we felt the tone and exercises were sometimes pandering and hokey.

Current Digital Tools

Currently, Ours offers "digital tools" like "Rose Bud Thorns" (a weekly reflection exercise), "Card Decks" (conversation facilitators), and "Prose" (interviews with couples and blog posts about relationships).

Switching Therapists

Ours allows couples to switch therapists if needed, and there's no fee for doing so.

Pros

• Responsive customer service
• Pleasant website and interface
• Licensed therapists only
• Personalized approach

Cons

• Costs are only viewable with an account
• Occasional technological issues
• Self-guided software has been phased out

Final Thoughts

Despite the technological snags, we were satisfied with the flexibility and quality of therapy received through Ours and hope that these issues have been resolved. Our therapist made the process inviting and laid back, and he honestly assessed that we could benefit from more sessions if we wanted to continue. The majority of Ours users surveyed also reported satisfaction with the service and felt their therapists were well-qualified.

Methodology

We surveyed 105 current Ours users and evaluated the company based on website usability, sign-up and therapist matching processes, therapist qualifications, types of therapy offered, service quality, communication options, session length, subscription offerings, privacy protections, cost, insurance acceptance, therapist switching options, user satisfaction, and recommendation likelihood. We also signed up for the service and consulted with subject matter experts to assess its suitability for providing quality care.