Step 1: Talk with each other about why now
Before you open a single listing, sit down together for twenty minutes. Each of you name one or two things you hope will change, and one worry about starting. You don't have to agree. Write both lists down. They will help you explain what you want on the first call, and they make it easier to tell whether a counselor is listening.
If only one of you is ready, that's common. The ready partner can still make the calls and share what they learn.
Step 2: Decide on the basics
Settle three practical questions:
- In person, online, or a mix? A short drive is easy to plan; two work schedules often aren't.
- Daytime, evening or weekend?
- How far will each of you drive? Someone working at the south end of the county and someone working in town may want an office in between.
Step 3: Shortlist two or three counselors
Use the directory to pick a few counselors or family therapists who see couples. Read how each describes their approach and who they usually work with. Skip anyone whose description doesn't fit how you'd like to talk.
It can help for each partner to pick one name independently, then compare. If you both chose the same counselor, that is a good place to begin. If you chose different ones, talk about what drew each of you. Those reasons often say more about what you want from counseling than any listing does.
Step 4: Look up each license yourself
Utah's Division of Professional Licensing handles licenses for clinical mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists, and its Behavioral Health Board, cited below, includes both professions. DOPL links a public Licensee Lookup and Verification System. Search each name on your shortlist and note the license type and status. This takes a minute per name and gives you information straight from the state.
Step 5: Make a short call to each
Ask the same questions every time so you can compare:
- How do the first few sessions usually go?
- Do they ever meet with partners separately?
- What does a session cost, and what is the cancellation policy?
- Do they work with your insurance, or provide paperwork for out-of-network claims?
- How soon could you start?
Notice how each counselor responds when you share your two lists from Step 1. Pick the one you both felt comfortable with.
If the calls leave you split, book a single first session with the counselor you were both at least willing to try. One appointment is a small commitment, and it gives you real information instead of a guess. Afterward, each of you can say privately to the other whether you want to go back.
Step 6: Keep legal questions in their own lane
If separation or divorce is part of your situation, know that the court process is separate from counseling. The Utah State Courts' Divorce Mediation FAQ says that when an answer to a divorce complaint includes contested issues, the parties take part in at least one mediation session with a mediator qualified by the state courts, and that financial assistance is available for those who can't afford one.
For questions about forms, deadlines or how a case works, the courts' Self-Help Center gives free help to people without a lawyer. Its staff attorneys can answer questions about court procedures and refer people to mediation, legal aid and lawyer referral services. It takes email, calls on a toll-free line, and texts, weekdays 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Your counselor can support you through the stress of that process, but can't answer those questions.
Step 7: Check in after a few sessions
After three or four meetings, ask yourselves: Do we both feel heard? Are we talking about the things on our lists? Is the schedule workable? Share the answers with the counselor. Adjusting the pace or focus is part of the work, and changing counselors is fine if the fit isn't there.
How this directory fits
We introduce Ogden couples to independent counselors. We don't run sessions and we don't check credentials, which is why Step 4 matters. The choice, and the license lookup, are yours.