Who this guide is for
This guide is for couples in Midland and the surrounding county who are thinking about counseling and are not sure where to begin. It moves from the first conversation between the two of you to the first few sessions, and it points to the state and county resources that apply here.
Step 1: Talk about why, together
Before you search for anyone, sit down and name what you each want to work on. It does not need to be polished. One partner might write "we argue about money every payday"; the other might write "I feel like a roommate." Having both lists on the table makes the first session more useful and helps you pick a counselor whose focus matches yours.
Step 2: Agree on the practical limits
Decide together what you can manage: how far either of you is willing to drive across Midland, which evenings or mornings are realistic, whether video sessions are acceptable, and roughly what you can spend each month. If one of you works rotations in the field, write down the pattern so you can share it with a counselor later.
Step 3: Build a shortlist
Use this directory to find independent counselors and therapists who work with couples in the Midland area. Pick three or four whose descriptions match the issues you listed in Step 1. The directory does not review credentials, so treat the list as a starting point only.
Step 4: Look up each license
The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council oversees the state boards for professional counselors and for marriage and family therapists, and its site offers a public online license lookup. For each name on your list, search the record, confirm the license type, and note anything you want to ask about. Cross off anyone whose record you cannot find and who cannot explain why.
Step 5: Make a short call to each
Call or email the counselors who remain. Ask how often they see couples, whether they offer video sessions, what a session costs, and how they handle cancellations. Ask how they work when partners disagree about whether to keep going. Both of you should hear the answers if possible, on speaker or by reading the email together.
Step 6: Choose and book a first session
Pick the counselor you both felt more comfortable with, even if it is not the closest office. Book the first session for a time when neither of you will be rushing in from a shift. If one partner will be out of town on that date, ask whether they can join by video.
Step 7: Know the county resources if separation is on the table
Some couples come to counseling while also thinking about ending the relationship. Counseling and court are separate tracks. In Midland County, the 318th Family District Court at 500 N Loraine Street hears family law matters, including divorces, annulments, adoptions and child support, and its page for self-represented parties offers a divorce checklist in English and Spanish along with a link to the Texas Law Help website. A counselor cannot answer questions about a case; an attorney or the court's staff can.
Step 8: Give it a few sessions
The first meeting is often mostly history and goals. Plan on several sessions before you judge whether the fit is right. Between appointments, keep a short note of what came up at home so you have something concrete to bring back.
Step 9: Check in with each other
After three or four sessions, talk privately about how it is going. Do you both feel heard? Is there something you are not saying in the room? If one of you is uncomfortable with the counselor, it is fine to say so and try someone else from your shortlist. Changing counselors is common and does not mean the two of you have failed at anything.
Step 10: Plan around schedule changes
Rotations shift, school calendars change, and new jobs come with new hours. When your schedule changes, tell the counselor early and agree on a new standing time rather than letting sessions lapse.
A note on privacy
Midland can feel like a small town even with its size. If you are worried about running into your counselor at church, at a school event or in the grocery store, ask on the first call how they handle that. Many counselors have a simple approach, such as waiting for you to say hello first.