If your marriage is in trouble, the last thing you need is the hassle of trying to find help and only getting a sales pitch. What couples' therapists wont tell you is that they give out alternatives to marriage counseling in their own office, but in order to get this information you have to pay for their services.

The average cost in the U.S. for a marriage therapist is between $45 and $200 per session. And since the average therapist requests sessions once a week for the first three months, it averages out to about $1200 in that time at $100/hour. They get a large profit from your marital misery, and the last thing a troubled marriage needs is money problems.

There is a great deal of useful information online pertaining to marriage counseling. The most useful programs offer a variety of mediums to convey their information.

One of the best alternatives to marriage counseling we've found is the Light Your Fire audio programs. They have separate programs for men and women, offer mp3 downloads of the entire CD set for a discounted price, have a free marriage assessment test, and have a self-help CD set, video seminars, and 1-on-1 phone consultations to supplement the couples program.

Many marital issues are covered, including unconditional love, understanding men and women, communication, acceptance and admiration, romance, coping with feelings, understanding yourself.

This program is specifically tailored to a husband or wife who is dealing with emotional distance caused by illness, infidelity, work, parenthood, or even divorce. Yes, the Light Your Fire audio program will work even if you and your spouse have filed for divorce and are living separate lives.

Most alternatives to marriage counseling are reasonably priced compared to seeing a therapist, and may be considered less invasive and time-consuming, though no less involved.

The Light Your Fire audio program starts at about $80 for the mp3 version and about $120 for the 9-hour CD set with workbook. This is a one time fee for a comprehensive and well-organized therapy alternative.