Couples' counselling in France

There is no single charity as well known as the UK’s Relate but there are bodies, such as afccc.fr and sftf.net, which give national listings of professionals with titles such as thérapeute de couple or conseiller conjugal. The latter are counsellors trained in couple ‘crisis’ mediation.

People offering thérapie de couple usually have a psychotherapy qualification and/or are psychologists. Some Eng­lish-speaking counsellors are listed at counsellinginfrance.com.

Reimbursement is generally not offered unless you see a psychiatrist (a doctor). It will be better if you obtain a referral from your own GP (médecin traitant), though few psychiatrists practise in this area. Catholic priests also have some training in marriage guidance.