If you’ve been looking for help with your dating life, you’ve probably heard of dating coaches and matchmakers. But in recent years, a new type of dating professional has emerged: the “dating therapist.” And if you’ve been struggling with dating, therapy may sound like a logical place to sort out the reasons why. 

Is dating therapy the solution you’ve been looking for? 

What is Dating Therapy?

To start, it’s important to note that currently, “dating therapy” isn’t a recognized therapeutic discipline, which means there is no standardized treatment method or credentialing program for this type of therapy.  

Among Dating Therapists, there is no definition of what dating therapy includes, its goals, and when you look closer at some practices, the “therapist” may actually be a counselor or coach rather than a licensed psychotherapist. 

However, I would never knock the therapeutic process. It definitely plays an important role in healing broken lives, working through difficult relationship issues, and teaching healthy communication skills. 

There is plenty of evidence that dating can affect emotional or mental health. 

A Thriveworks study showed that 55% of single Americans feel anxious about asking someone out and that 77% of Americans believe they can’t be truly happy if they are single.

In February 2026, Family Therapy Magazine reported: “Our clients increasingly bring dating app experiences into the therapy room, such as stories of rejection, confusion, exhaustion, and, occasionally, connection.” 

Clearly, there is a growing need for therapy for singles who are struggling with dating. 

And I am a perfect example of the benefit that therapy provides. 

In my late 30s, I experienced a lot of loss. During this season, my first husband and I divorced after his infidelity; I was grieving the death of my father, who was killed in a senseless car accident, and I saw the passing of an uncle and my grandfather. 

Within a couple of years, my whole world changed because of these losses. So I sought therapy and worked with a lovely 60ish woman who helped me pick up the pieces of my life so I could stand on my own two feet. 

This was definitely a time of growth and understanding for me. And I remain grateful to this day for my therapist’s contribution to that journey.

However, therapy didn’t provide me with any dating strategy, skills, or understanding of how to navigate the dating scene in order to find and keep true love.  

What dating therapy can and can’t do

Therapy, whether it’s through a licensed counselor, therapist, or psychologist, is about healing. But healing and having a practical plan for finding true love aren’t the same thing.

Therapy Can Help Singles…

• Heal from divorce, betrayal, grief, or painful past relationships.
• Recognize unhealthy relationship patterns.
• Understand attachment concerns or fear of vulnerability.
• Strengthen self-worth, boundaries, and communication.
• Manage dating anxiety and rejection and become more emotionally prepared for a healthy relationship.

Therapy Can’t Help Singles…

• Develop a plan or system for effective dating.
• Provide tools and strategies for making better matches more efficiently.
• Know exactly where and how to meet the right people based upon your values.
• Clarify relationship values, life goals, and their vision of their ideal partner. 
• Evaluate potential partners and offer real-time dating feedback and accountability.
• Craft an online dating strategy and profile that will attract the “One”.

Because healing and having a practical plan for finding true love aren’t the same thing. That’s where dating coaching comes into play. 

Why a dating coach may be necessary to pick up where therapy leaves off

My therapist was great at helping me process my grief and work through the uncertainty I felt about who I was and what came next. As a result, I was more confident about who I was and what I wanted next in life. 

But what she couldn’t help me with was how to achieve it. I didn’t have a frame of reference, and I felt like I was spinning my wheels.

That’s when I met my dating coach. Ultimately, it was his coaching program that gave me the structure and knowledge I needed to understand what kind of man I was looking for. 

I was an entrepreneur, and I needed a partner who would be a good match for my life vision. 

Through coaching, I learned a lot about myself and how to date more strategically, including how to determine whether a man was the right partner for my goals, needs, and vision for my life. 

I was better able to see how I was showing up when dating. We discussed my must-haves and dating mistakes and developed a customized dating plan tailored to my specific needs. 

He challenged me about how I was evaluating matches and encouraged me to look deeper instead of immediately passing on good potential life-partners. This is how I was able to see my future husband differently and have the clarity to recognize him when he came along.

I couldn’t have gotten this kind of structured dating help in therapy, because that’s not what a therapist is trained to do. 

Do you need dating therapy, dating coaching, or both?

As I said earlier, I believe therapy serves a purpose. I’ve had plenty of clients come to me after or even during therapy. 

And occasionally, when working with a new client, it becomes apparent to us both that they’d benefit from therapy in addition to coaching.

It’s not the norm, though. I believe in taking a whole-life approach to coaching, so we take time in early sessions to see what a client needs to address to prepare for love. 

We discuss their dating gremlins, patterns of who they’re attracting, and dating blind spots that may exist as a result of a client’s dating or marital history. 

And in most cases, when we shine a light on these areas, the next steps to creating a dating plan become clear. 

But yes, sometimes the problems a client is facing are bigger than what coaching alone can address. And usually the client realizes that therapy would be helpful before I ever have to bring it up. 

So, which is right for you? Here’s the best way to know:

• If you are stuck and hurting- if you have areas in your life that need healing seeing a therapist is a great place to start.
  
  I wouldn’t necessarily recommend “dating therapy” because the root cause(s) of your pain are usually bigger than your dating history. However, after you do the deep work to understand why your relationship or marriage failed, begin to find healing, and are excited about the prospects of dating, then you are ready to start with a dating coach. 
  
• If your dating is stalled or just struggling- what you probably need is a better way to date. You need clarity in knowing what you truly value, desire, and need in a partner, and a custom dating strategy with clear direction and goals. This is where a dating coach will help you shine!

This is the empowering coaching I do with my clients every day!

I help them see clearly what they need in a spouse or partner and then empower them to find their life partners.

I support them throughout the dating process, through the tenuous first months of their new relationship, and even on through to commitment or engagement, often with the addition of couples’ coaching. 

Not all of my clients are looking for “marriage”; however, I only coach seriously searching singles who are looking for lasting love.

That’s what makes Motivated to Marry® coaching so unique. If your end goal is a committed, loving relationship, then how you date requires a unique and specialized approach. And that isn’t something you’ll get from a dating therapist. 

What about you? If you’re stuck and unsure where to go next on your journey towards lasting love, reach out and let’s talk! Even if you’re unsure whether to start with coaching or therapy, our Self-Discovery session will uncover the best fit for you at this time. 

Schedule a complimentary Self-Discovery Session with me, and let’s get you on the path to finding your true and lasting love partner! 

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