Online dating site eHarmony, which claims to be responsible for thousands of marriages and engagements, has launched an online marriage counseling site. Now couples in trouble can log in to eHarmony Marriage and attempt to work out their marital problems in private-with a little help from a virtual therapist.

The eHarmony Marriage program begins with an extensive online questionnaire that addresses everything from finances to spirituality. Couples answer all the questions separately and wait for a joint computerized report that outlines the strengths and weaknesses in the marriage. But that's only the beginning.

Once you get your marriage report, the system generates an action plan that includes watching 20-minute interactive videos on communication, intimacy, and family life. These videos are supposed to be watched over a six-to-eight week period, but couples who want to dig deeper also have an extensive library of relationship articles at their fingertips.

This at-home marriage counseling program comes with a $150 price tag, making it more affordable than visiting an actual therapist, although Dr. Les Parrott, co-creator of the program, will tell you it's no substitute for the real thing. "If a couple is on the brink of divorce or at a huge impasse, they need to see somebody in person."

But will they?

Because of the stigma attached to marriage counseling, couples who presently need professional help may be inclined to wait until it's too late. EHarmony's type of online program could potentially help couples recognize and work on issues early on in the relationship.

Dr. Parrott says women tend to be the first to move in this direction, but they're likely to face some resistance from partners who don't want to go to a therapist's office. In this case, a subscription to an online therapy session could be very beneficial.

But is online marriage counseling ready for prime time?

Some therapists seem to think so. Diane Sollee, director of the Coalition for Marriage, Family, and Couples Education in Washington, D.C., says good counseling can be done in any medium-over the phone, by computer, or face to face. "It's very cost-ineffective to require that a couple sit with a therapist in a private office, an hour at a time, to get information."

What do you think?

Links:

Marriage counseling moves online (The Christian Science Monitor)