Getting Support From A Relationship Coach Online
If you've been having concerns with finding (and keeping) the intimate relationships you want in your life - and you feel like you've already tried everything – it may be time to seek professional help from an online relationship coach or an online therapist.
Dating and relationship coaches provide individuals and couples with key communication skills and strategies that can help their relationships progress more smoothly and healthily. However, dating and relationship counseling is not the answer if you're not willing to do the work that it takes to improve saving your relationships. You must be willing to work toward the relationship that you and your partner want even outside of couples coaching and therapy sessions. Coaching or therapy sessions can be held virtually anywhere in the world.
In this article we discuss relationship coaches, including who they are, what they do, and where to find the best relationship coaches.
What is an online relationship coach?
Online coaching vs. online therapy and counseling
Counseling platforms like BetterHelp exclusively staff licensed and certified professionals for their marriage, dating, relationships, and mental health counseling platform. As mentioned previously, online coaches are not typically required to obtain any sort of licensure or certification.
How working with a relationship coach online differs from counseling
One of the most important differences to take note of is that relationship therapists can often provide psychological guidance, relationship advice, and techniques that are known to be helpful for individuals and couples. A relationship coach may offer some of these things, but will not be able to make clinical recommendations or prescribe treatments, just as professional therapists typically cannot offer medical advice without the degree, licensure, or certifications to do so.
What guidance and support can dating coaches provide?
Strengthening communication and other reasons to seek advice
The following are common reasons why couples and individuals are turning to dating coaches and relationship therapy to save their intimate relationships.
- Establish healthier relationships - You're fed up with detrimental relationships, and you're ready to learn some new relationship coping skills.
- Identifying red flags - You keep finding yourself dating the wrong people for you, and you want to learn to see the potential signs of this as early as possible.
- Balancing self-care with dating - You want to be in a healthy relationship with a stable partner, but you want to maintain your relationship with yourself, too.
- Issues with physical, emotional, and sexual chemistry - You can't figure out if it's them, you, or neither. A third-party can help you make sense of your concerns about chemistry.
- Dating abuse - You're being physically, emotionally, or sexually abused, and you need to find a way out.*
- Financial concerns - You love your spouse, but your financial issues are taking a toll on your relationship.
- Healing from past relationships - You or your partner are still stuck in the past. You’re ready to work through old baggage so that you can both put your best foot forward, both together and as individuals.
- Learning new communication styles – One or both of you may have grown up in an environment that didn’t prioritize teaching healthy and productive communication. These old, unhelpful communication tactics (such as passive aggression) are getting in the way of having a fulfilling relationship.
- Issues with infidelity - You or your spouse has had an affair, and you're not sure if you should leave the relationship, or if you should stay and work through things.
Who might benefit from this advice and guidance?
If you or a loved one is experiencing abuse, contact the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Support is available 24/7.
How to become a dating coach
The ICF trains individuals on how to practice life coaching services that can be applied in a wide variety of disciplines, which include dating, marriage, and relationships. Many of today's new coaches have chosen to register with and become certified by the ICF.
Career paths for relationship coaches
Here are four pathways you can follow to embark on this career path.
- Become a dating or relationship coach without certification.
- Get professional on-the-job-training from an employer like Relationship Hero who trains and certifies their relationship coaches on their platform.
- Register with top-rated certification and training programs online with a top-rated agency like the International Coaching Federation.
- Add relationship coaching to your list of therapy services after completing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in psychology or social work.
Now that you've learned what it takes to become a coach, let's look at where you can find the best online dating coaches already in practice.
Finding a relationship coach online to improve your connection
Many of today's coaches often choose their dating and relationship niche after completing a degree program in psychology, psychiatry, mental health, or social work. Once these individuals have completed their relevant degree in psychology or social work many of these professionals choose to practice and provide services in the areas of dating, relationships, marriage, and family. They may have their own website and practice or be part of an existing service or practice.
Convenient support for communication skills and more
The effectiveness of online therapy for strengthening connection
Takeaway
Relationships can be tough, and it’s normal to feel as though you and your partner or partners could use a bit of help and insight. Relationship therapists and coaches can help you to identify unhealthy patterns in your relationship, provide tools to work through and modify them into healthier behaviors, and provide a safe space for you and your partner(s) to discuss concerns while learning how to communicate effectively. If you’re interested in online couples counseling, whether you’re married or not, you can be matched with an online couples therapist at Regain. If you’d like to focus on your concerns individually, no matter what you’re experiencing, you can connect with an online therapist through BetterHelp. Take the first step toward making progress toward your relationship goals and reach out for support today.
Read more below for answers to questions commonly asked about this topic.
How much does a relationship coach charge?
Most relationship coaches charge an hourly rate, but the pricing can vary greatly from person to person. Some coaches might charge $100 per hour while others charge as much as $500. The hourly rate may reflect the experience level of the dating coach, with more established professionals charging clients more. Relationship coaches are typically not covered by insurance. If you are having difficulty finding affordable coaches, you might ask friends if they’ve found an effective coach and inquire about pricing. You may also find several coaches who offer a sliding scale fee. It might also be helpful to search relationship platforms like Regain, where you can typically pay a monthly fee instead of a per-session rate. On these platforms, you can team up with a couples therapist and form a meaningful connection that may help you address your relationship challenges more effectively.
Is working with a dating coach worth the cost?
A dating coach can be a worthwhile investment, particularly if you feel like you are unable to maintain a meaningful connection no matter how much effort you put into your dating life or a relationship. Relationship therapists and coaches can help you identify unhealthy patterns in your relationship, provide tools to work through and modify them into healthier behaviors, and provide a safe space for you and your partner(s) to discuss issues and concerns while learning how to communicate effectively.
What is the difference between a relationship coach and a therapist?
Unlike professional counselors and licensed mental health professionals, relationship coaches aren't required to have a specialized degree, license, or certification. Today's dating and relationship coaches encompass a wide variety of educational backgrounds and disciplines, but they may not be qualified to provide adequate psychological guidance and evidence-based therapy if you are living with a mental health condition affecting your relationship or dating life. However, the coaching process may help you navigate challenges more effectively than you can on your own, and many people claim to feel grateful for the guidance offered by a coach.
How much do online relationship coaches make?
The amount of money a relationship coach earns can vary based on various factors, including areas of focus, years of experience, client satisfaction, and geographic location. Some coaches may work with clients over email or phone, while others exclusively chat with clients in-person. According to ZipRecruiter, the top earners make about $125,000 per year, and the bottom 25% make about $50,500 per year.
How do I find a good relationship coach?
Popular relationship therapy and mental health counseling sites often have dating coaches available and listed on their website. You can also ask for recommendations from your friends, doctor, or therapist (if you have one). You and your relationship coach will be a team, so it can be beneficial to speak with several coaches to get a sense of who you have a strong rapport with. You can even find a relationship coach through platforms like BetterHelp. Research has shown that online therapy is just as effective as traditional therapy for a variety of conditions and concerns, including relationship and dating struggles.
How can an online relationship coach support a couple?
Online dating and relationship coaches provide individuals and couples with key communication skills and strategies that can help their relationships progress more smoothly and healthily. The coaching process might include helping clients with relationship advice, relationship goals, boundary setting, and unhealthy dating habits. If these concerns sound familiar and you've reached a point when you have decided to act on your relationship goals, speaking with a relationship coach may be beneficial. Moreover, seeing a coach may be gratifying for empowering individuals to be more proactive in seeking what they want in their relationship.
When should I hire a relationship or dating coach?
A relationship coach acts as a neutral third-party who can listen to your concerns and help you explore options for moving forward. They can benefit couples, individuals, and families who may be struggling to find the right coping skills to navigate their intimate relationships or who are interested in growing self-confidence. For example, married couples may reach out to a relationship coach to work through a rut, and a single person may lean on a coach to identify and work through unhealthy dating patterns.
What are other common reasons for hiring a relationship coach?
- Are frustrated with your relationships
- Want to learn positive communication skills
- Struggle to find a person you feel physically and emotionally attracted to
- Feel stuck in your marriage or relationship
- Need to heal and move on from past relationships
- Want to learn to balance self-care and your partner
Who are the best relationship coaches?
There are many talented and dedicated relationship coaches who can help you navigate your intimate relationships and find the love you seek. The best relationship coaches are trustworthy, motivational, empathetic, dependable, and compassionate. Moreover, reputable relationship coaches tend to provide information on their qualifications, educational background, experience, and certification (if any).
Who needs a relationship coach?
A relationship coach can offer people in a committed relationship the chance to identify and address gaps in skills and attitudes that can interfere with their love life. For example, a coach may help individuals understand each other's love languages, explore new attitudes, and learn how to communicate more effectively.
If you are wondering how a successful relationship coach may help your relationship, consider what they can provide. A relationship coach can offer:
- New skills for healthy communication
- Tips on how to establish healthy boundaries
- Teach skills for navigating conflict
- Help develop shared goals
- Support personal growth goals
- Support relationship growth
- Encourage rituals or practices to rekindle intimacy, desire, and passion
- Explore love languages and communication styles
However, while there may be some overlap between a relationship coach and a counselor, a relationship coach may not be the right fit for you if you are looking to address mental health concerns, long-term built-up hurts, or are dealing with a significant breach in the relationship. While you may learn skills that can improve communication in a committed relationship and talk about concerns that make you stay stuck in familiar patterns, more complex issues
are usually addressed by a licensed mental health practitioner, such as a therapist.
A relationship coach may also be appropriate for someone who sees themselves as an action-taker invested in promoting the best version of their relationship from the beginning. Coaching may support the journey to establish mutual values and goals.
Coaches may also work with individuals who are navigating dating apps and are unsure of what they want in a new relationship after a break-up with a partner, husband, or wife.
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