Sabotaging Your Intimate Relationships? An Online Relationship Coach Can Help
If you've been having issues 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 dating coach or an online therapist.
Online, professional relationship coaches and therapists can guide you along your dating and relationship journey while helping you avoid the common dating faux pas and pitfalls that can cause romantic relationships to go south along the way.
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. However, online 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 coaching and therapy sessions.
Online coaching or therapy sessions can be held virtually anywhere in the world.
In this article we discuss online dating coaches, including who they are, what they do, and where to find the best dating coaches online.
Online Dating And Relationship Coaches - Who They Are
An online dating coach shouldn't be confused with coaches who help people perfect their online dating profiles. An online dating and relationship coach is available to help dating individuals and couples improve their chances of success in dating and relationships. Additionally, dating coaches aren't required to have a specialized degree, license, or certification like professional counselors and licensed mental health professionals.
Today's online dating and relationship coaches encompass a wide variety of educational backgrounds and disciplines and are often considered experts in the field, though always make sure to check their credentials first.
Online Coaching Vs. Online Therapy - Similarities And Differences Between The Two
Dedication to professionalism is evident in dating coaches who have backgrounds in psychology, psychiatry, mental health, and social work, and who offer their expertise to clients seeking guidance in both traditional dating and internet dating. 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.
BetterHelp’s staff of thousands of licensed counselors and therapists each have over 2,500 hours of clinical practice in their area(s) of specialty. While a relationship coach is different from a therapist, it’s important to know about their experience; if their website doesn’t list this, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and ask.
One of the most important differences to take note of is that relationship therapists can provide expert psychological guidance, advice, and techniques that are known to be helpful for individuals and couples. A relationship coach can certainly offer these things, but will not be able to make recommendations or prescribe treatments in the same professional medical capacity as a therapist since they do not possess the licensure or certifications to do so.
What They Do
Online dating and relationship coaches help individuals, couples, and families to create balanced and healthy relationships. The goal of taking part in dating and relationship therapy is to create more satisfying relationships and achieve long-term relationship success.
Dating coaches provide support for couples, individuals, and families who may be struggling with finding the right coping skills to help them navigate their intimate relationships more easily. Dating coaches provide clients with dating tips and teach couples how to establish healthy boundaries in their romantic relationships.
Not having healthy boundaries is one of the main reasons why couples in intimate relationships end up separating or divorcing. Dating coaches teach their clients how to ask important questions when you're dating someone new. Asking pertinent questions before going deep into relationships can help prevent dating and married couples from being blindsided with potential deal-breakers related to their personal goals and desires that could cause a rift in the relationship.
A dating coach acts as a neutral third-party and can help couples identify areas where they may be in a rut or have unhealthy patterns. Expert dating coaches can also identify potential underlying mental health concerns that may be undermining intimate relationships and making appropriate mental health recommendations for a full spectrum of care, though again most do not possess the proper licensure to be able to formally diagnose or treat conditions.
Nine Reasons People Seek Dating And Relationship Coaching Online
The following are common reasons why couples and individuals are turning to online 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 provide insights on 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.
If you can see yourself in one (or more) of the above scenarios, you're likely a great candidate to take part in sessions with an online dating coach. Honesty is the first step to creating healthy and lasting relationships. If you're willing to be honest with yourself, chances are good that you can learn how to do the same with your partner.
*If you or a loved one are experiencing abuse of any kind, reach out for help immediately. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
How To Become A Dating Coach
There are a few routes to take to become a dating coach. While coaches aren't required by law to be certified, many of today's coaches are taking their roles more seriously and completing coaching certification and training with popular coaching educators like the International Coaching Federation.
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.
4 Pathways To Become An Online Coach
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 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.
Where To Find The Best Dating Coaches Online
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.
Popular relationship therapy and mental health counseling sites often have dating coaches available and listed on their website. You can also ask for any recommendations from your family doctor or your therapist if you see one.
Relationship Coach Therapy Is Personal
Getting started with relationship coaching online can be easy - and in some cases free. Register for a free client account on the BetterHelp.com platform to get matched with a licensed online dating or relationship counselor to suit your individual needs and lifestyle. Sessions can be held from your home or wherever you have an internet connection, and many of our therapists operate outside of standard business hours to increase convenience.
Online therapy has been found to be just as effective as traditional therapy for a variety of conditions and concerns. A February 2022 study conducted by six psychologists found that online (via video) couples therapy had equal levels of patient and relationship satisfaction improvement, and equal increases in happiness and decreases in depression and anxiety compared to in-person couples’ therapy.
If you’re still wondering if BetterHelp is right for you, and how much online therapy costs, please contact us at contact@betterhelp.com.
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. Online 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 issues and concerns while learning how to communicate effectively.
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