Here's a practical guide:

Use the Internet

 You may be fortunate enough to have a recommendation from a friend or family member. Yet nowadays many couples find a counsellor  via the internet. It's a process of searching for relationship counsellors in your area, finding out what they say about themselves, looking at their training,availability, fees and reviews if available.

The best guide is to trust your gut-feel. You want a relationship counsellor you feel you can trust and talk to. You want to feel safe but not too safe! You need a counsellor who challenges you and shakes up the status quo. You want a counsellor who can handle strong emotion. Someone who is calm ,solid and impartial. Someone who is there for you both and doesn't take sides.  You want a relationship counsellor who will  supports you to  work on your relationship.

Make Sense of  Counsellors' Qualifications and Training

Levels of Training

Many therapists  trained to work with clients one to one see couples. They may be well qualified and accredited with BACP or UKCP based on their skills of working one ot one. It's my experience that working with couples requires a different skillset/ approach to working one to one. I recommend looking at a therapist's training to check that they have been specifically trained to work with couples.

Variations in Approach

How to make sense of different therapeutic approaches?  Firstly remember that  qualities of the relationship counsellor tends to be more important than nuances of their training. Relationship counsellors. Research shows that relatonship problems are usually co-created so most relationshhip counsellors use a 'systemic model' which means they look at your relationship dynamic as a system where one of you impact the other. This is different from an individual approach were the focus is on one person or the other.

Couples Counselling or  Individual Counselling?

If you are having issues in your relationship  you may be wondering if it's best for one of you to deal with their issues in individual counselling. I would recommend first going together for  counselling. In relationships, although often it doesn't seem like it, both partners tend to co-create the relationship issues so it makes sense for you to look at what is going on together.

You can continue with individual counselling while attending relationship counselling. If you are attending relationship counselling , you can discuss if individual counselling is a good idea. Usually this would be with a separate counsellor. You need to be mindful that if both you and your partner have individual counselling it can become a way of avoiding what is going on between you .

What if Your Partner is Unwilling to Attend?

 It's common for one partner to be keen to try relationship counsellor and the other not sure. Starting together is best.However you can attend by yourself initially if your partner is reluctant with the option of  your partner attending later. Your partner my be willing to come later on seeing the positive changes in you and that the counsellor isn't taking sides.

Fees

In general relationship counsellors try to respond to couple's financial constraints by agreeing managable feels or altering the frequency of sessions. If sessions are unaffordable to you or your  financial situation changes do discuss with your relationship counsellor to see what agreement can be reached.

Skype Sessions

Some relationship counsellors offer skype sessions. The benefits and disadvantages of using skype need to be considered before deciding to have skype sessions. Although skype offers the convenience of being able to work with a therapist without having to travel, it's not going to have the benefits of meeting face to face. Meeting in the therapist room , away from your home enviroment  creates a better boundaried space to work on your relationship. Using skype can feel less connected and less personable that face to face sessions.If you can try to find a local relationship counsellor. Consider combining  regular face to face sessions with occasional Skype sessions when you are unable to attend in person can work well.