Are you in a relationship that has seen better days, with no idea how to get back the spark that once lit you up? Or are you exhausted from your fruitless search for the perfect partner?
You’re not alone, and you don’t have to overcome these challenges without help. Keep reading to find out how relationship coaches can help singles and couples alike thrive in healthy, fulfilling relationships.
What is a relationship coach?
Relationship coaches are a subcategory of life coaches that help their clients improve their existing relationships — or find fulfillment with new relationships. You may also see people refer to them as dating coaches, but only when they help in the dating department.
However, relationship coaches are much more than people who are “good” at dating! Through a blend of personal experience and professional training, relationship coaches acquire skills to:
- Work through conflicts
- Set attainable relationship goals
- Cultivate healthy communication habits
- Help clients get in touch with their own needs and desires
- And so much more!
Relationship coaches work at the core of what makes us human. Everyone deserves to find love without compromising their boundaries or life goals. But it’s not always easy to get there on your own, whereas a relationship coach can bring some perspective and experience to facilitate the process.
7 important factors a relationship coach can help you with
There’s more than one reason to hire a relationship coach. Here are 7 examples of how a relationship coach can help you get more out of your love life.
1. Clarify what you want out of a romantic partner
Nowadays, all you need to do to find your next squeeze is to whip out your phone, install a dating app, and swipe a few times.
So why does finding the right person feel like such a chore?
Having more dating options at your fingertips doesn’t make it easier — for some people, it makes it more difficult to know what you really want out of a relationship.
One way to figure out what you want is to date dozens of people and use a process of elimination. But that’s time consuming and involves a lot of broken hearts.
The other way is to find the right relationship coach to help you clarify these details.
If you’re wondering how a stranger can know what you want better than you can, here’s the secret: they don’t!
Relationship coaches aren’t magical mind readers who can instantly tell you what to do and who to look for. Instead, they follow proven processes to get to know you, your aspirations, and what you want out of life.
Once you both paint a picture of what you want, your coach will then be able to develop a plan to take your dating life in that direction. They’ll help you when you feel down and keep you accountable as you implement it.
2. Break old patterns
Do you tend to begin relationships that all end up in the same dysfunctional place? If that’s the case — and if that makes you unhappy or unsatisfied — a relationship coach can work with you to break old patterns that may be getting you stuck there.
For example, some people may end up in one codependent relationship after the other without realizing their attachment style is driving those results. Alternatively, people who grow up surrounded by violence may be more likely to find themselves in relationships in which they’re victims of abuse.
That’s because people repeat what’s familiar to them, even if they know it’s not healthy. But even the oldest patterns can be broken.
A relationship coach can identify old patterns that may be leading to dysfunctional or unfulfilling relationships. Once they identify these patterns, they can work with you to set realistic goals and implement an action plan to rebuild new patterns.
3. Heal a relationship
Even if nothing’s going well in your current relationship, you and your partner may still want to salvage what you have. A relationship coach can work with both of you to overcome the past, heal what’s broken, and rebuild trust.
Although relationship coaches have experience healing relationships, it’s crucial that both partners be willing to collaborate with the coach if they want to see results.
4. Overcome breakups and divorce
What if you’re going through a difficult breakup or divorce and don’t know how to deal with everything on your own? Relationship coaches can help you navigate the end of a relationship, too.
You can work with a relationship coach to work on yourself, or to collaborate with your ex partner if you both want to end things in a healthy way.
5. Improve communication and understanding
We’re not the first to say this, but communication is key in any relationship. Sometimes we struggle to say what we mean — or we misinterpret what our partner says.
While communication problems are common in relationships, they’re detrimental to both parties. Relationship coaches can either work with individuals or with couples to improve communication skills and help partners understand each other better.
6. Obtain a better sex life
Relationships aren’t all about sex — but that doesn’t mean your sex life isn’t important! That’s why many relationship coaches will help clients improve their sex lives in addition to the relationship aspects.
A relationship coach may work with couples to help them rekindle their sex lives. On the other hand, you can hire a relationship coach on your own if you’re looking to rediscover what you desire and how to tap into your own pleasure.
7. Uphold healthy boundaries
In the short term, it’s easy to please others. But when your need to please your partner comes at the cost of your boundaries, you’ll have a problem — especially for your long-term health.
Relationship coaches can help you figure out if you’re upholding your boundaries or not. But they can also coach you through the process, so you stop putting your own sanity on the backburner to respond to your partner’s demands.
Your coach can also collaborate with partners to help them establish and respect boundaries together.
5 types of relationship coaches
Relationship coaches aren’t all the same! Just like life coaches have several specialities, relationship coaches each have their areas of expertise. Here are just 5 examples of focus areas to look for when choosing your relationship coach.
1. Relationship coaching for women
Some relationship coaches will only work with women as clients. That’s because they’re in tune with how women feel or what they need to be successful in a relationship.
Relationship coaches for women, in some cases, can also help women get back in touch with their inner desires — especially if they’ve been focused on what their partners want for far too long.
2. Relationship coaching for men
On the flipside, some relationship coaches focus on helping men with their romantic relationships. These coaches will either be men who’ve experienced success in their own relationships or women who can offer a fresh perspective to men.
Keep in mind that some relationship coaches specialized in coaching men or women will only have the skills necessary to help heterosexual partners. If you need support with other types of relationships, make sure you clarify this with your coach first to make sure they have the expertise to help you.
3. Relationship coaching for singles
Getting help with your dating life as a single person is an entirely different process compared to getting support to improve an existing relationship.
Relationship coaching for singles focuses on your developing your own skills, which may or may not include:
- Understanding your self-worth
- Attracting the right type of people for you
- Navigating the complexities of the modern dating landscape
- Knowing how to spot red flags
- Having successful first dates
These coaches rarely focus on improving one specific relationship. Instead, they help their clients improve themselves.
4. Confidence coaches
Confidence coaches help you focus on yourself instead of your relationships. Their goal is to help you cultivate self-confidence so you’re able to seek out healthier relationships as a result.
Having self-confidence is one of the most effective things you can do to attract the people you want!
5. Breakup coaches
Sometimes navigating relationships is more about getting out of one. Coming out of a breakup or divorce can be a challenging time, which is why some relationship coaches specialize in this type of support.
Working with a breakup coach can help you see the light at the end of the tunnel and find love again, even if you’ve experienced painful heartbreak.
Relationship coaching — online or in person?
So what’s the best solution for you — hiring a relationship coach in person, or finding someone online instead?
The answer will depend on where you live and what type of coach you’re looking for. For instance, if you live in an area with a small population, your chances of finding a relationship coach with the exact skills and credentials you need will be slim.
Going online expands the possibilities. You get access to a plethora of certified relationship coaches! If you book a discovery call and you don’t feel the vibe, you’ll always have other options to consider.
Of course, it’s always convenient to work with someone in person. But you won’t be able to work with your coach if you travel abroad or move to a new location!
Where to find a relationship coach
If you’re looking for a relationship coach that gets you, look no further than CoachCompare! You can browse our comprehensive listing of coaches and find the perfect relationship coach that matches your goals, all for free. Find your relationship coach today!
