The short answer
Look for a licensed clinician with relevant couples experience, verify the credential with the appropriate state board, and ask about the approach, safety assessment, fees, and confidentiality. For online therapy, confirm authorization to treat people in your location. Both partners should have a chance to ask questions about fit.
When things are already tense at home, sorting through therapist profiles can feel like another job neither of you has energy for. Everyone seems to offer communication help. It can be hard to tell whose experience fits your situation or what the credentials mean.
You do not need to find the perfect person on the first search. Start with a few practical questions: is the clinician licensed to see you, do they have relevant couples experience, can you manage the appointments and cost, and do you feel able to ask honest questions?
First, check the license and location rules
Couples work may be offered by licensed counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, or social workers. Titles and licensing requirements vary. Verify the person's actual credential through the appropriate state licensing board rather than relying only on a directory badge.
For Ohio counseling licenses, start with the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board and use its license-verification resources. Other professional credentials have their own boards. Verification is a current check, not something an article can complete for you indefinitely.
For online care, your physical location during appointments matters. Ask whether the clinician may treat each partner where they will actually be, including during travel. Brian Girton's practice is online-only for people located in Ohio; it does not offer in-person appointments in Cincinnati.
Ask about experience beyond the license
A license is important, but not every licensed clinician has the same preparation for working with couples. Ask about training, experience with your concern, and how the therapist handles two people with different perspectives.
Useful questions include:
- What kinds of couples concerns do you work with regularly?
- How do you understand recurring conflict and help partners change it?
- How do you assess whether joint therapy is safe?
- How do you handle an individual disclosure or a secret?
- What happens if one partner is unsure about staying together?
You do not need a particular trademarked method to have good care. Ask the clinician to explain their approach in language you understand. Do not infer a certification from a therapist discussing an approach or recommending a book.
Compare the practical details
Check fees, insurance eligibility for the specific service, appointment availability, cancellation policies, and the expected session format. A provider being in network does not automatically mean relationship counseling is covered.
For video appointments, consider whether you have a private space and reliable access. Convenience matters, but privacy and safety are part of the fit. Our online therapy guide explains questions to consider.
What should a consultation tell us?
A consultation gives you a chance to describe the concern briefly and ask about the process. Notice whether the clinician explains limits clearly and makes room for questions. A promise to fix your marriage or a judgment about your partner before assessment should prompt more questions.
One of you may feel comfortable sooner than the other. Say that out loud. A concern about fit deserves a conversation; it does not have to become another disagreement about which partner is being difficult. Notice whether the clinician takes the concern seriously and helps you understand the options.
Considering Brian Girton?
The practice website lists Brian as an Ohio LPCC, license E.0700889, based in Cincinnati and providing online couples and individual therapy statewide. It describes approaches including Emotion-Focused Therapy, Behavioral Couples Therapy, and CBT. Confirm current licensure and availability rather than treating this description as independent verification.
Sources and next steps
- Ohio CSWMFT Board, for counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy licensing resources.
- AAMFT: About Marriage and Family Therapists, for the relationship-focused treatment framework.
- Brian Girton's practice information and contact page, for approach and consultation details.