About couples therapy
Couples therapy helps partners improve communication, handle conflict, rebuild trust after a crisis or make decisions together, including separation. Sessions are usually joint, sometimes with individual meetings. It is not about deciding who is right but about understanding the patterns between you.
Couples therapists help partners with communication problems, frequent arguments, infidelity, crises or decisions about the future of the relationship. Sessions are usually joint, sometimes combined with individual ones.
Getting mental health care in Italy
Public health system · Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN)
Public mental health care is provided by local Centri di Salute Mentale (CSM) and consultori, usually with a GP referral and a co-payment (ticket). The means-tested Bonus psicologo contributes up to 50 euros per session.
How to check that a professional is licensed
- Consiglio Nazionale Ordine degli Psicologi (CNOP) and regional Ordini. Practising as a psychologist requires registration in the Albo degli Psicologi; psychotherapists must have an additional annotation after a recognised specialisation. Search the official register
- FNOMCeO and provincial Ordini dei Medici. Psychiatrists are doctors registered with their provincial Ordine; the FNOMCeO portal lets you search registered doctors. Search the official register
Insurance and coverage
The 2025 Bonus psicologo, applied for via INPS, covered up to 1,500 euros depending on ISEE income, paid at a maximum of 50 euros per session to participating psychotherapists.
Urgent help in Italy
If your life or someone else's is in danger, call the emergency number now. These services can help at any time:
- 112 · Emergencias
- 02 2327 2327 · Telefono Amico Italia
- 06 77208977 · Samaritans Onlus
Information reviewed in November 2026 · Sources: tg24.sky.it, psy.it
Signs to look out for
All couples argue. It may be time to seek help when the same arguments repeat without resolution, conversations quickly turn into criticism or silence, you feel lonely within the relationship, affection or sex have faded and that worries you, trust has been broken, or a big change such as a baby, illness or a move has unbalanced things. Considering separation is also a reason to talk.
What helps: treatments and professionals
Couples therapy approaches with good evidence include emotionally focused therapy, integrative behavioural couple therapy, cognitive-behavioural couples therapy and the Gottman method. Couples therapists, psychologists and psychotherapists with couples training usually lead the work, and a sex therapist can help when sexual concerns are central. Therapy can help couples reconnect, or separate with less damage, especially when children are involved.
When to seek urgent help
If there is physical violence, threats, sexual coercion, or you feel afraid of your partner, your safety comes first: contact your local emergency services if you are in immediate danger, and seek specialised support for domestic violence. Couples therapy is not recommended in these situations. Seek urgent help too if anyone has thoughts of suicide or harming others.
What you can do in the meantime
Choose calm moments to talk about difficult topics, rather than in the middle of an argument. Try to describe how you feel and what you need, instead of criticising. Take a break if things escalate and agree to come back to it. Make time for small moments of connection. Reading reliable information on relationships together can also open useful conversations.
What does a couples therapist do?
A couples therapist helps two people understand and improve their relationship. Day to day they work with couples on communication, recurring arguments, trust after infidelity, intimacy, life transitions such as parenthood or retirement, and decisions about continuing or separating. They stay neutral, make room for both perspectives, and teach practical skills to talk, listen and repair after conflict.
When to see a couples therapist
Couples therapy makes sense when arguments repeat without resolution, you feel distant or misunderstood, trust has been damaged, sexual or emotional intimacy has changed, or you face a big decision together. It also helps couples who want to separate respectfully. If there is violence, control or fear in the relationship, couples therapy is not appropriate; individual support and safety come first.
How to choose
When choosing, check the licence and training, the approach they use and whether they have experience with what you need. Consider practical aspects too: language, price, location or online sessions and availability. The relationship with the professional matters a great deal; if after a few sessions it does not feel right, it is fine to change.
Frequently asked questions
Does the public health system in Italy cover psychological care?
Public mental health care is provided by local Centri di Salute Mentale (CSM) and consultori, usually with a GP referral and a co-payment (ticket). The means-tested Bonus psicologo contributes up to 50 euros per session.
How do I check that a couples therapist is licensed in Italy?
Consiglio Nazionale Ordine degli Psicologi (CNOP) and regional Ordini: Practising as a psychologist requires registration in the Albo degli Psicologi; psychotherapists must have an additional annotation after a recognised specialisation.