How to Become a Wildly Successful Relationship Coach

Want to become a relationship coach? 

You’re in the right place. Because today, you’ll learn what a relationship coach is, who can become one, and how to set up your own relationship coaching business. I also share how my student Ruby went from no business to leaving her 9-5 in just seven months as a dating coach.

Curious to learn more? Read on!

How to become a relationship coach – checklist

1. Choose a coaching niche

2. Set up your coaching business

3. Get certified

4. Get your first paying clients

5. Learn how to coach

6. Grow your coaching business

What is a relationship coach? 

A relationship coach (also called dating coach or love coach) helps clients find love or improve their relationships. Some relationship coaches specialize in romantic relationships, while some do friendship coaching, family coaching, or even business relationship coaching.

And more people than ever are turning to coaches (the coaching industry is a rapidly growing, $2 billion industry). You can have a big impact by helping people improve their love lives and relationships. What’s more, a coaching business offers pretty sweet benefits, like a chance to quit your 9-5 and create more freedom and flexibility in your life. (It’s what I call a Freedom Business.) 

But what is relationship coaching? And who can become a love coach? That’s what we’ll look at next. 

What does a relationship coach do? 

A coaching business is essentially all about supporting people to reach a goal they have. And as a relationship coach, you help them find love or improve their existing relationships. 

We’ll get to what a great coach looks like later on in this article, but for now, what you need to know is that the way you support your one-on-one coaching clients is through calls, emails, and potentially an online group or similar. 

People hire relationship coaches for different reasons: 

Relationship coaching for singles

You can be a relationship coach who helps singles find love. Some niches within this niche are: Coaching people to date online, coaching single men or women, coaching people who want to find partners who share the same religious beliefs as them, coaching LGBQT+, intimacy coaching, or coaching divorcees. It all comes down to finding those who have the ability and willingness to pay.

Relationship coaching for couples

Another great niche is coaching couples — people who maybe need some help with getting back on track with their relationship.

Family relationship coaching 

And finally, relationship coaching isn’t always about finding love. You can also become a relationship coach who helps people improve other relationships, such as family relations.

Irrespective of your niche, your job is to: 

•  Coach people to understand their goals
• Support them when they face challenges
• Help them rewrite old mindset blocks and internal beliefs that keep them stuck
• Show them when they’re repeating the same old patterns that have been blocking them for so long

So as you can see, you’re a mentor or guide to your clients. And thanks to your coaching, your students are far likelier to reach their goals. In fact, research shows that support helps people achieve them more effectively. 

That’s what a dating coach does. But who can become a dating coach? And do you need a degree, certification, or relationship coach training to qualify as a coach? 

Do you need a certification to be a relationship coach?

There’s a common misconception that you have to have a relationship coaching certification program to become a qualified relationship coach.

This is not the case. Caveat: There are some niches where you do need to be a certified coach. And if you offer therapy or deal with mental health issues, you need to be a qualified therapist.

But coaching is not therapy. Coaching is about supporting and mentoring people. In fact, you don’t even compete with therapists because you don’t offer the same service. 

That’s why, if you have results in your niche, you can start coaching. For example, my student Ruby Lee started her own relationship coaching business after years of working for companies like eHarmony — without a certification. Ruby also has a background in therapy, although she doesn’t offer therapy services. 

Briana, another of my students, is a creative arts therapist. In her niche (attachment in adult relationships), her experience matters, but a certification does not. 

Or maybe you’ve gone through a divorce, thrived, and helped people around you do the same and now you want to start coaching people who are going through that process.

Granted, you’ll probably need a bit of practice to become a great coach. That’s why you offer lower rates in the beginning so that you can develop your coaching skills as you coach more and more people.

How do you become a relationship coach without a degree? 

Now you know what a relationship coach does. But how do you start your coaching business and how can you start it online? 

Starting a relationship coach business can feel like a pipedream right now. But it doesn’t have to be.

That’s what my client Ruby of Good Gentleman found out when she was researching different options that would allow her to quit her 9-5.

Here you can watch my full interview with Ruby:

At the time, Ruby was in a day job as a matchmaker at eHarmony. She knew she wanted more. She wanted to be her own boss, help people, and work with a certain type of audience. 

But she was held back by the uncertainty of it all.

First, Ruby felt that as she didn’t offer a tangible result (like earning money), but instead a very intangible result (finding love), she was scared her business wouldn’t work.

What’s more, the uncertainty of running a business felt intimidating. Not knowing when and how much she would earn every month was something that felt like a huge roadblock.

And finally, she wasn’t sure how she could find people who would be happy to pay her for her services. 

But in a couple of months after joining my program, Employee to Entrepreneur, Ruby had her first sale of $2,000.  

“Shortly after joining the program, I made my first sale. And that’s when I realized, this is a business,” she says. 

Over the next six months, she got 2 more clients and made $10,000. That’s when Ruby knew she would be able to leave her job very quickly. 

Today? Her business makes multiple six figures and she loves working with her high-end, one-on-one clients and hearing her clients get life-changing results. 

“Just the other day, I had someone say, ‘I’m in a relationship and I can’t believe it. I‘ve never had a relationship before.’ That’s so exciting to me!” 

Ruby followed a set formula and that’s how she was able to grow her business to the point where it is now. 

She’s no exception (I’ve helped over 1,000 coaches start their businesses).

And neither are you—becoming a relationship coach is not a pipedream and it is so possible for you too. 

The first step is to choose a niche. 

1. Choose a relationship coaching niche 

First, you need to figure out your niche within your niche.

What do I mean by that? 

You need a compelling offer that makes you stand out. If you say, “I sell relationship coaching,” few people will listen.

But if you say, “I help busy women find their dream partner,” people are much more likely to pay attention. 

How do you find your niche? 

Consider three things: 

• Who is willing to pay for your services? 
• Who is able to pay for your services? 
• What is the result you offer? 

In this short video, I talk more about figuring out your niche: 

2. Set up your coaching business

The next thing on your to-do list is to set up a business. The first step is to set up the right legal structure. 

Choose a legal business structure 

The most common business structures are: 

• Limited Liability Company (LLC): You’re protected from personal liability, but this type of business is more complicated to set up. 
• Sole proprietorship: A sole proprietorship is simpler to start, but doesn’t protect you as effectively as an LLC. 

You can read more about LLCs here. Read more about business structures here. 

Find a relationship coaching business name

This is actually not that complicated. You don’t even need a business name when you’re just starting out. And even when you set up your website, I recommend that you use your own name (www.yourname.com). 

That said, if you want to find a different business name, you can use the Shopify Business Name Generator to get more ideas. 

Don’t (!!) start your relationship coach website 

Most new business owners think they need a website as the first thing when they start their businesses. But that means you’re not focusing on the things that will get you the fastest results. 

You see, as a new coach, people don’t know about you. So they won’t find your website or even check it out. I launched my own business website when I had made around $20,000 in my business.

Before that, if people wanted to take a look at my website, I sent them a link to my LinkedIn profile. (It works just as well.) 

Set up the relationship coaching tools that you need 

Last, you need a few tools to get started. (But probably not as many as you might think.)

I actually recommend just a few tools for new coaches:

• Calendly. This scheduling tool makes it easy to set up sales calls with potential clients. Just send them a link to your calendar and Calendly takes care of the rest. 
• Zoom. Zoom is my go-to for sales calls and coaching calls. That said, another, similar tool, like Skype, will work just as well. 
• DropboxSign. Once you’ve landed your first client, the first step is to send them a contract. DropboxSign makes this an easy process. (Read my full guide on creating coaching contracts here.) 
• Stripe. You’ll also want to get paid. Enter: Stripe. Send invoices and set up subscriptions with this tool. 
• Google Drive. When you’re coaching people, you might need a place to store coaching material and share it with your clients. Google Drive is a free tool that works great for this purpose.  

3. Get certified (if you want to) 

You don’t need a certification if you have the right experience. However, if you want one, go for it. In that case, look at certifications accredited by a credible organization like the International Coaching Federation. 

The ICF offers three certification levels: 

• ACC (Associate Certified Coach)
• PCC (Professional Certified Coach)
• MCC (Master Certified Coach)

The requirements for each level vary. The ACC is an entry-level certification, while MCC is the highest certification level. 

If you want to get certified, read on. I share some of the top certifications below. 

4. Get your first paying clients 

When building your coaching business, your first goal should be simple: To get just one client. 

Getting your first relationship coaching client – Find your first client (step #1)

That said, how do you get that first client?

The first step:

Go to your clients and proactively offer your services. (This is where you need to hustle a bit.)

You can do this in a few different ways. For example, some of my students have gotten clients by reaching out to their own network. Or they’ve pitched their services to people in their audience. They’ve also asked for referrals from friends to get new clients. 

Getting your first relationship coaching client – Let your clients come to you (#2) 

You can also let your clients come to you. 

Here’s how you do it: Brainstorm and go to where your clients are online. Are they on Instagram? TikTok? YouTube? 

Think about how you can get in front of them on that platform. For example, Ruby knew who her audience was — smart guys who were a bit on the nerdier side. 

And she knew they hung out on Reddit, so that’s where she went. 

She posted a simple post that essentially said, “Hey! I’m a matchmaker in my job and I’m trying to see if I can build a business around it. If you are (this is where Ruby included a description of her ideal clients), I would really appreciate it if you could give a bit of your time for some market research questions. In return, I’m happy to give you a short, free coaching session where I’ll help you identify the top 3 reasons you always get friend-zoned.”

Around 10 people said yes. At the end of the call, she offered to work together with her. 

One of the guys said yes, and that’s how Ruby got her first $2,000 client within two weeks after starting her business!

In the same way, you should start building engagement with your audience on the platform of your choice. You see, people don’t trust you that easily if they’ve never come across you before. 

But with content, you can build that trust faster.

You essentially share your expertise and get in front of people. When they see your name popping up in their feeds (and if your content is compelling), they’ll become intrigued to read on.

By consistently sharing your content and answering people’s questions, you build engagement. Here’s my guide on how to create converting content for your coaching business. And here’s how to use social media to attract coaching clients.

If you want even more ideas, take a look at this quick video where I share how to make $5K/month:

5. Learn how to coach 

Now, something a lot of students will ask me is this:

“Luisa, how do I help my clients to succeed?”

Yes, it’s scary to help people achieve their dreams and goals. But because you already have experience and results in your niche, you have absolutely nothing to be worried about.

That said though, coaching is a skill you learn the more you do it. 

Some people think that coaching is all about supporting clients to find their own answers.

They’ll say things like, “Ask questions and listen. Your student has the answer within themselves.”

While there’s some merit to this thinking, I don’t fully agree. I like to think of coaching as “coach-sulting,” so a mix of coaching and consulting.

What this comes down to is that you step up as a leader, provide a vision for your students, guide them, help them problem solve, and hold them accountable. 

And as you develop as a coach, you’ll come up with your own relationship coaching techniques that make YOUR methodology so unique. 

Want to learn more about how to coach people to succeed? 

Here’s my full step-by-step guide on how to hold great coaching sessions. 

6. Grow your coaching business

Almost all coaches will face the same problem:

You only have so much time to work with private coaching clients. 

What do you do when your time is maxed out, which happens pretty much when you’ve taken on 10 clients? That’s when you move on to other offers. 

Ruby, the relationship coach, did just that. She launched an online course to diversify her income sources. That’s how she was able to move to multiple six figures in her business.

A course is a great way to sell something that you’ve created once and see your profits stack on. And creating it is really straightforward — you take what you teach your clients in your private coaching program and work that into an online course. You’ll notice that most people run into the same types of challenges and problems, so you can include them all in your self-study course. 

Another idea for scaling your business is group relationship coaching.

This is when you take your coaching offer and open it up to a group of clients. All your coaching calls are group calls and you support your clients in a shared community, such as a Voxer group. 

The best part is: 

You’ll help more people while making more money and leveraging your time. Win-win!

For more on how to start your dating coaching business from scratch, take a look at this short video:

Next, let’s move on to the best certifications for new relationship coaches. 

The best relationship coaching certifications

If you want to become a certified relationship coach, how do you find the right relationship coach certification? 

While I haven’t personally taken these programs, this is a list of the top coaching training courses based on information and reviews available online:

1. Certified Gottman Therapist (CGT) 

Gottman Institute 

This certification by the Gottman Institute includes four separate tracks: 

• Level 1 Trainings in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
• Level 2 Trainings in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
• Level 3 Trainings in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
• Certification track 

Level 1 and Level 2 (Clinical Foundations in Gottman Method Couples Therapy) are workshops that help you support couples who struggle by using the Gottman Institute’s assessment techniques and intervention strategies. 

Level 3 builds on Level 1 and 2, while the certification track is a way to get certified by a well-recognized institute. 

Note: Anyone can take L1 and L2 Trainings, but to earn a certification, you’ll need to have taken all three trainings, while also having a masters degree in a mental health-related field, 1,000 hours of postgraduate therapy experience, licensure or certification in a mental health-related field, and malpractice insurance. 

Price: L1 and L2 cost $599

Accreditation: None

Delivery: Online

Length: 30 hours (L1 and L2) 

2. Sex Coach and Consultant Certification

Sexual Health Alliance 

The Sexual Health Alliance offers a certified program for coaches who want to offer sexuality consultations, sexuality coaching, and intimacy consulting and coaching. This program is approved by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). 

Price: $5,850

Accreditation: AASECT-approved 

Delivery: Online

Length: About 12 months 

3. Relationship Coach Certification

Relationship Coaching Institute 

The RCI offers life coaching and relationship coaching certification programs. The accredited relationship coach certification program is a three-month program that includes three modules on the foundations of relationship coaching and relationship coaching for singles and couples. You’ll get weekly calls and private mentoring when you sign up.

The different certification levels offered by RCI are: 

• Certified Relationship Coach for Singles (CRCS)
• Certified Relationship Coach for Couples (CRCC)
• Certified Relationship Coach for Singles and Couples (CRC)
• Master Relationship Coach for Singles (MRCS)
• Master Relationship Coach for Couples (MRCC)
• Master Relationship Coach for Singles and Couples (MRC)

Price: $3,997

Accreditation: ICF 

Delivery: Online 

Length: 3 months

How to choose a relationship coaching certification program

A relationship coaching certification program won’t just cost you money. You’ll also be investing your time and energy (resources you could be using to get your first clients). 

So be mindful of which program you sign up for. When choosing a program, consider…

• Your goals: Do you want to learn how to coach? Or learn about a specific topic? Do you want community and mentoring? Find a program that aligns with your specific goals. 
• Recognition and accreditation: Is the program accredited by a recognized organization like the ICF or offered by a leading institute like the Gottman Institute? Those programs will eventually have the biggest impact.
• Cost and time commitment: Can you afford the program? And can you put in the required time? 

Before picking a program, figure out what your goals are, talk to other coaches in the industry, and read program reviews. 

FAQ: How to become a relationship coach

Do relationship coaches make money?

There’s no standard relationship coach salary. You and your results are the deciding factors. If you can show what amazing results your clients get, it’s much likelier that they’ll sign up and want to pay you top dollars. 

I also recommend new coaches to start with a lower fee and work their way up as they establish their businesses. A good rule of thumb is to start at $1,500 for a three-month package ($500/month) and then move on to higher relationship coach fees. Once you have that credibility, you can start looking at rates of $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, and more.

Is a relationship coach the same as a therapist?

Now, relationship coaching and therapy are not the same thing. Therapy deals with helping people overcome trauma and treating different mental health conditions. Therapists are also licensed professionals. Relationship coaches, on the other hand, support people in achieving a goal, such as finding love, by helping them figure out the steps they need to take to find love. 

What’s next? 

There you have it. Now you know how to become a relationship coach.

What it comes down to is that you take consistent steps to get your first paying clients. That’s how you ultimately get to the point where you can hand in your resignation letter and become a full-time coach. 

However, while this is a jam-packed blog post, there’s only so much I can share in one article.

Building a coaching business is a process…and one that can become incredibly overwhelming without the right support.

That’s why I created my own coaching business training program, Employee to Entrepreneur. This program builds on my 10+ years of experience as an entrepreneur, plus my learnings from having helped thousands of people start their own businesses. 

Want to get a process to follow, not have to figure out the “how” (which often takes years of trial and error), and get the clarity you need to start your business today? 

Then, get my free blueprint that shows you exactly how to build a six-figure coaching business.

Learn more: 

• How to Become a Marriage Coach
• The Best Sex Coach Certifications
• Legal Requirements for Coaches