Certified relationship coaches can empower clients to improve communication & emotional wellbeing in their personal & professional lives.
Coaching is a vibrant and growing field.
The number of active coach practitioners reached 126,000 in 2023 and is projected to reach 145,000 in 2024, according to research by the International Coaching Federation (ICF, 2023) and CoachRanks (Coachranks, n.d.).
That is almost a 50% increase from the 2020 Global Coaching Study released by the ICF (ICF, 2020) when there were 71,000 coach practitioners.
Specialization as a coach is vital for success. Many coaches today identify as business coaches, but there are other types of specializations, such as career, nutrition/fitness, leadership, creativity, and spirituality.
This article will discuss the specialization of relationship coaching. It will review job possibilities and training opportunities for coaches and therapists who want to deepen their work with couples.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our five positive psychology tools for free. These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients build healthy, life-enriching relationships.
Relationship coaching is a professional, client-focused service that supports individuals and couples in learning skills to achieve their relationship goals (Allen, 2016).
Although many people think of relationship coaching as helping romantic relationships (and it can), it is not limited to that. Relationship coaches can also help with a variety of interpersonal relationships, such as employee-to-manager, peer-to-peer, and even team building (Stout-Rostron, 2019).
As you can see, relationship coaching affords a wide variety of opportunities to empower clients to improve communication, establish boundaries, deepen intimacy, learn conflict resolution for families or kids, and create positive change in relationships (Nelson-Jones, 2006).
Relationship coaching is not the same as couples therapy. Often, with relationship struggles, one or both individuals are coming to therapy with deep wounds, such as trauma or mental illness (Hart, Blattner, & Leipsic, 2001). If that is the case, then therapy is more appropriate. However, coaching can be beneficial for couples who would like to find greater intimacy or learn healthier communication skills.
Because coaching is such a new field, it’s difficult to navigate the world of training. There is one large accrediting body, the ICF, but there are hundreds of programs that are not accredited. In fact, there is no requirement for training or certification at all to call yourself a coach.
However, if you want to be in service to others, you likely want to get the best training possible. For this reason, it is advisable to go with a program that is ICF accredited.
The ICF is currently one of the most rigorous and well-established certification programs in the world. They have a high standard of curriculum, ethics, mentorship, and hours required for programs to be certified. After completing an ICF-accredited program, you can then apply to be an ICF-certified coach.
There are two paths to becoming a relationship coach, depending on the credentials you already have and the type of career you want. First, if you only have a bachelor’s degree or are currently trained or working in a field that has nothing to do with relationship coaching, it is advisable to go through a full life coaching program and, in addition, take some specialty courses in relationship work.
If you are already working as a coach or have a background or license in counseling or therapy, you can quickly obtain a specialization in relationship coaching and shorten your training time.
3 Requirements of Relationship Coaches
Being a relationship coach can be exceptionally demanding. The following skills can be helpful.
1. Empowerment
Coaches must believe that their clients can change.
To coach is to support a client on the path to growth, and a strong belief in the client’s ability to achieve their goals is paramount to success.
Coaches inherently believe that the client knows what they need and can get there with accountability and encouragement. But they do not want to create an over-reliance on the coaching process. The goal of a coach is to make themselves obsolete.
2. Empathy
Empathy is the ability to see things from another’s perspective. It is vital that a coach understand that all people have their own unique story, and that what works for one may not necessarily work for another.
The ability to empathize fully will help the coach co-create goals that are appropriate to the specific problem the client or couple is going through.
3. Listening and communication skills
If you are worried that you might not have what it takes to work one-on-one with people, fear not. A good coach training program will give you many skills to work effectively with people, such as empathetic listening, motivational interviewing, and growth assessments.
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4 Best Certification & Training Programs
It’s unnecessary and inadvisable to take a program that only trains in relationship coaching unless you have already completed a coaching program.
An excellent coaching program should teach a variety of skills and allow the coach to choose their specialty after learning the basics. For that reason, the programs chosen for this list offer a comprehensive program as well as a specialization in relationship coaching.
Each of these programs is ICF accredited at the level of Accredited Coach Training Program, meaning that they have met the requirements of a minimum of 125 student contact hours, mentor coaching, and a performance evaluation process. In addition, these programs are in English, but the ICF search engine offers many language options.
Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)
Since 2002, iPEC has maintained its ICF certification. To prepare graduates to start or advance a coaching career, their immersive training blends business development tools, coaching techniques supported by science, and personal transformation.
Graduates earn two industry-recognized certifications: Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP) and Certified Professional Coach (CPC), with the possibility of earning a third through additional COR.E® Dynamics training.
Additionally, the program offers specialized training in fields like relationship coaching.
This is not a self-paced program; it is a demanding cohort-based program. Students complete three live training modules (which can be accessed virtually or in person) over the course of seven to ten months, with weekly coaching practice, webinars, peer support, and self-study assignments thrown in.
Applied practice, feedback loops, and real-time mentoring are key components of iPEC’s adult learning design. This includes six one-on-one meetings with a dedicated Mentor Coach.
The Academy of Creative Coaching offers a variety of ways to learn. They have a four-day weekend intensive program that offers 40 hours of contact. In addition, they also offer live online classes or a fully self-paced design.
This program requires that coach trainees choose a specialty, and training is woven into the program through specialized textbooks, coursework assignments, independent study hours, practice coaching sessions, and one-on-one mentor coaching sessions.
The Academy for Coaching Excellence (ACE) is committed to providing an inclusive program. By offering sliding scale pricing, fundraising support, and a diversity and inclusion plan, they offer a promising way forward for many groups that may have not had the ability to attend a coaching program in the past.
The ACE has a commitment to compassion and social consciousness. They will match you with a mentor coach who is aligned with your focus and goals. Their program takes around one year to complete, is fully online, and has flexible start dates for each module.
The cost of the program is based on your income and offered on a sliding scale. In addition, after completion of the first model, the program helps you begin to get paid to coach while you are completing the training.
Coach Training World (CTW) offers a program based on “whole person coaching,” a holistic and scientific process that helps the coach bring out the best in their client. They encourage specialization and guide the program based on that choice. Relationship coaching is one specialization they offer.
CTW also focuses on the business aspect of coaching, offering a variety of additional business training options.
The program lasts approximately 6–10 months, delivering 125 learning hours.
If you’re already trained as a therapist or counselor, it is not necessary to undergo an extensive coaching program, as many of the skills you will learn were already covered in your therapy training such as motivational interviewing, strengths-based therapies, and administering assessments.
You may want to take a brief continuing education course rather than complete hundreds of hours of coaching instruction. These courses are also helpful if you have already completed coaching training and would like to deepen your understanding of relationship coaching.
Coach Training EDU
Relationship Advanced Life Coach Training is one of the specialized programs that EDU provides for coaches.
Coaches can assist clients in overcoming obstacles in both personal and professional relationships by taking this 16-week course. Whether working with individuals or couples, coaches learn how to cultivate a deeper connection, trust, and communication.
In addition to a 284-page textbook and optional readings by authors such as Brené Brown and John Gottman, the course consists of weekly 2-hour Zoom sessions with 8–16 participants. To increase coaching confidence and insight, each session incorporates peer practice, trainer demonstrations, and discussion.
Completing Coach Training EDU’s foundational 1.0 program is one of the prerequisites.
Aspiring relationship coaches can choose from a flexible certification path offered by the World Coach Institute (WCI)—available to all with no prerequisites.
With optional weekend intensives, trainees can select between live teleclass formats or self-paced online courses. Using WCI’s exclusive methodology, all pathways lead to the CRC designation and come with business development and coaching tools.
Along with critical coaching techniques and personal growth, the course work covers a wide range of relationship coaching topics, including dating, co-dependency, conflict resolution, and recovery. Resources for starting and promoting your coaching business are also provided to students.
RCI has a unique approach in that the entire program is geared only toward relationship coaching. It offers an ICF-accredited program that provides 144 training hours. The three modules are Foundations of Relationship Coaching, Relationship Coaching for Singles, and Relationship Coaching for Couples.
The program is comprehensive in covering the breadth of relationship types and stages. Students meet virtually with their instructor for an hour per week, as well as complete 1.5 hours of work and practice with their “Lab Teams.”
The program lasts for 18 months overall. Rather than tuition, RCI charges a membership fee. This fee affords members access to all the live courses, as well as other self-study courses on relationship coaching.
Famed relationship therapist Ester Perel gives advice on intimacy
A Look at Our Positive Relationships Masterclass
Another great option for practitioners who want to deepen their understanding of positive psychology and relationships is our Positive Relationships Masterclass. This course will teach you the key principles of successful relationships and give you access to hands-on tools.
You will be provided with the content needed to design and deliver a client coaching, development, or therapy program so that you can help people build supportive relationships at scale.
17 Exercises for Positive, Fulfilling Relationships
Empower others with the skills to cultivate fulfilling, rewarding relationships and enhance their social wellbeing with these 17 Positive Relationships Exercises [PDF].
Looking for even more tools to support your relationship coaching practice? Check out the following free worksheets and activities.
About Your Partner is a fun worksheet to deepen connections between partners. Questions explore values and preferences in several different categories.
Things I Love contains icebreaker-style questions from 10 categories to help get to know each other and encourage stronger relationships.
This Assertive Communication worksheet fosters learning healthy communication styles. It helps clients differentiate between aggressive, assertive, and passive styles.
The Active Listening Reflection worksheet can be used to practice using active listening skills. There is a list of several active listening techniques, where the client is invited to try each and reflect on what worked and what didn’t.
When communicating with a partner, the overuse of “you” statements can begin to feel judgmental. This Turning “You” Into “I” worksheet helps rephrase questions in a more open and compassionate way.
The Valuing My Partner worksheet invites clients to reflect on the things they value in their partner. It helps shift from a negative focus to a positive one.
Relationship Qualities is a worksheet useful to help couples explore their shared strengths.
If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others build healthy relationships, this collection contains 17 validated positive relationships tools for practitioners. Use them to help others form healthier, more nurturing, and life-enriching relationships.
A Take-Home Message
While life coaching is an exciting and growing field, to be truly successful as a coach, it helps to choose a niche. New coaches may believe that choosing a niche will lead to fewer clients, but it’s actually the opposite. When you have expertise in a specific area, it helps to set you apart from the many coaches out there (Dean, 1999).
If you have a passion for working with couples and helping people reach their goals in relationships, then becoming a relationship coach may just be the perfect fit for you. If the idea of helping reignite the spark between two people excites you, you are on the right track. Or maybe you’d like to help managers learn how to better interact with their employees, design team building, or work in conflict resolution.
The world of relationship coaching is rich with possibilities, and it is only growing. Now is a great time to become a coach.
A relationship coach certification is a credential that equips individuals with the skills and knowledge to guide clients in improving their personal and professional relationships.
How do I become a certified relationship coach?
To become a certified relationship coach, enroll in an accredited training program that covers coaching techniques, psychological principles, and business strategies, and complete the required coursework and practical experience.
What are the top relationship coach certification programs?
Top programs include the Relationship Coaching Institute, which offers comprehensive training for singles and couples, and the Gottman Institute, known for its research-based approach to relationship coaching.
References
Allen, K. (2016). Theory, research, and practical guidelines for family life coaching. Springer.
Dean, B. (1999). Marketing a virtual coaching practice on a national scale. The Independent Practitioner, 19(3), 112–115.
Hart, V., Blattner, J., & Leipsic, S. (2001). Coaching versus therapy: A perspective. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 53(4), 229–237. https://doi.org/10.1037/1061-4087.53.4.229
Nelson-Jones, R. (2006). Human relationship skills: coaching and self-coaching. Routledge.
Stout-Rostron, S. (Ed.). (2019). Transformational coaching to lead culturally diverse teams. Routledge.
About the author
Dr. Amanda O'Bryan is a certified wellness coach and specializes in using evidence-based practices to empower her clients to shift the ways that stress and anxiety impact their lives. She also works as a freelance writer, creating psychoeducational content. Her goal with writing is to help people understand themselves better by presenting cognitive science in a fun and interesting way.
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What our readers think
Siphathisiwe Ndlovu
on November 12, 2024 at 11:40
Iam interested in becoming a relationship coach.Please let me know what the requirements are including the fees.
Julia Poernbacher, M.Sc.
on November 15, 2024 at 10:57
Hi there,
Becoming a relationship coach typically involves completing training to develop coaching skills and expertise in guiding individuals or couples. While formal education isn’t mandatory, enrolling in an ICF-accredited program is highly recommended for credibility. If you have a background in counseling, you can opt for shorter specialization courses, while others may benefit from comprehensive coaching programs with a focus on relationships.
Training options include programs like those offered by the Relationship Coaching Institute, Academy of Creative Coaching, and iPEC. Costs vary widely; iPEC’s intensive program exceeds $5,000, while the Relationship Coaching Institute offers a membership model for access to courses. Affordable options, such as introductory courses on Udemy, start at $50. Training durations range from weekend intensives to nine-month part-time programs, providing flexibility to suit your schedule.
Coaching is a vibrant and growing field.
Being a relationship coach can be exceptionally demanding. The following skills can be helpful.
If you’re already trained as a therapist or counselor, it is not necessary to undergo an extensive coaching program, as many of the skills you will learn were already covered in your therapy training such as 
What our readers think
Iam interested in becoming a relationship coach.Please let me know what the requirements are including the fees.
Hi there,
Becoming a relationship coach typically involves completing training to develop coaching skills and expertise in guiding individuals or couples. While formal education isn’t mandatory, enrolling in an ICF-accredited program is highly recommended for credibility. If you have a background in counseling, you can opt for shorter specialization courses, while others may benefit from comprehensive coaching programs with a focus on relationships.
Training options include programs like those offered by the Relationship Coaching Institute, Academy of Creative Coaching, and iPEC. Costs vary widely; iPEC’s intensive program exceeds $5,000, while the Relationship Coaching Institute offers a membership model for access to courses. Affordable options, such as introductory courses on Udemy, start at $50. Training durations range from weekend intensives to nine-month part-time programs, providing flexibility to suit your schedule.
I hope this helps!
Warm regards,
Julia | Community Manager