George Clooney had therapy to get over the breakdown of his marriage.

The 50-year-old actor - who recently split from girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis - was married to actress Talia Balsam for four years until 1993 and regards the breakdown of their union as his fault because he didn't "work" at their marriage, but didn't get the response he was hoping for when he sought help from a counsellor.

He said: "I was not prepared to face up to the fact you need to work at a marriage. I was 28 and not as tolerant as I should have been.

"I went into therapy for the first and only time in my life after the marriage was over. I found out you can use therapy to justify pretty much anything.

"They will say, 'You are not wrong to feel that way'. Sometimes you just want them to say, 'You are a real jerk.'

"I have probably worked harder at friendships than I did my marriage."

George - whose previous girlfriends have included model Lisa Snowdon and waitress Sarah Larson - also admitted his "selfish" devotion to his work has meant none of his relationships have lasted more than a few years, but he understands why they never work out.

He explained to The Sun newspaper: "I love working. I love being on a film set, trying to make something special. It is a very selfish life.

"It means my relationships seem to last between two and three years. At that point, these independent women think it is time to call it a day. They see me travelling round, putting work first, writing, directing, acting. It seems I never stop.

"I don't blame them for wanting more from a relationship."