“I would definitely recommend Rachel. I came to her after a lengthy spell of being unable to get beyond the first date with several women. Her advice on the sorts of things to talk about on a first date and how to flirt allowed me to move beyond that stage with one of the first women I subsequently met. We’re now married. Thanks, Rachel!” (Carlo, 35)
“Rachel is not just an expert who can help get you a date. She has helped me a develop a loving and intimate relationship with myself, to prepare me for developing valuable relationships with others. Rachel has helped me define moral boundaries within myself and taught me how to overcome stereotypes and anxieties I have had around women. The great thing about Rachel is that she helps you turn your weaknesses into strengths. Working with Rachel I have gone from being an extremely shy, repressed, introverted person into a very confident, popular young man who isn’t afraid to speak to women. Rachel doesn’t perform magic but she does perform miracles.” (Kamran, 34)
“When I first contacted Rachel I felt completely disillusioned with dating. I’d always ended up dating men who didn’t seem to want a relationship and I was not getting likes from the right men online. Rachel was systematic in helping me reflect on my beliefs about relationships and in learning to value myself and to treat myself with respect. She guided me through the stages of dating in a supportive and non-judgmental style. I could be completely honest with Rachel and she has shown wisdom and compassion in her responses. Rachel knew how to challenge me while guiding and supporting me to a better path. On the third date I had after coaching, I met someone and it feels very different to anyone I’ve ever dated before: he wants to spend time with me and so far it feels so easy. It feels like the universe is supporting me in pursuing my dreams!” (Olivia, 55)
“Rachel has been such a wonderful help and safe space to discuss relationship uncertainties, fears, and hopes. It’s been amazing to have Rachel’s encouragement, patient listening, and support. I recently entered into a new relationship with lots of challenges, and working with Rachel has been a key ingredient to its success and happiness.” (Bianca, 36)
“For me, coaching with Rachel has been literally life-changing. When I first contacted Rachel I only expected to find out if dating was viable for someone as socially anxious as me and maybe a little help with my dating profile. What ended up happening transformed not just my beliefs about romantic relationships but about myself, emotions and all my other relationships. And throughout I have found her to be unceasingly gentle, patient and kind.
If a past version of myself read the above it would probably put them off. I would tell him: Rachel will not judge those parts of you that you might be a bit embarrassed about, and not only is she a lovely, friendly person, she is also as evidence-based as a dating coach can get. The worst thing that could happen is you lose a bit of time and money. But the best thing could be that she helps you find someone to spend the rest of your life with. So, if you’re thinking about contacting Rachel, stop procrastinating and go for it!” (Nick, 29)
“I keep recommending Rachel and her style of coaching to my friends. Not only is her coaching useful for the dating process, but also for having a healthy relationship once you’re in one. We’re rarely properly taught dating and relationship skills, and are expected to somehow make things work. After working with Rachel, I see huge value in getting support in our dating and relating lives. I particularly appreciate Rachel’s coaching because she’s ‘no bullshit’ – she doesn’t promise you’ll somehow find love after her coaching sessions, she sensibly questions beliefs or ideas of mine that are not particularly helpful to me or my dating life, and she refers to evidence around relationships and psychology when providing advice. I’m very glad I found Rachel, and I will continue to reach out to her to help me answer the tricky relationship questions that will inevitably keep popping up.” (Lena, 41)
“I was initially a little nervous contacting a dating coach. What questions would she ask and how would I reply? I shouldn’t have worried as Rachel made me feel comfortable right from the start. I appreciated Rachel’s support for my mental health challenges as well as her encouragement and positivity. It helped to know that I wasn’t alone. She had plenty of great ideas and suggestions for working with my emotions, and she took things at a pace that I was comfortable with.” (David, 58)
“Rachel has helped me work through my anxiety which was making me feel very negative towards dating and causing problems in other areas of my life. She has provided a really useful framework for understanding and dealing with anxiety, with lots of practical strategies and exercises. This is helping me feel stronger and more prepared, ready to face the rollercoaster that is dating with a more relaxed attitude.” (Moira, 35)
“Rachel really helped me to change my perspective on dating and get me out of a very negative frame of mind. She is supportive, constructive, knowledgeable about the dating scene and offers sound advice and helpful, honest feedback.” (Keith, 58)
“Rachel is insightful, intelligent and inspired in her approach to dating advice. She is thoughtful, and takes many factors into consideration when offering ways to navigate the often confusing world of dating, especially for anyone who is new to apps. Rachel understands human emotions and how to interpret behaviour, and is skilled in understanding how to take measured, meaningful steps in the early stages of dating. She has taught me how to best to act and react to text messages. She has also offered wonderful ideas on imaginative first dates. I’ve learned a lot about human psychology and how to go slowly and steadily rather than jump in without thinking. I’m grateful for her encouraging guidance and positive yet practical support. Thank you, Rachel!” (Ellen, 34)
“Rachel is meticulous in her approach. She covers every facet of dating and helps you plan effectively for your forthcoming date one step at a time. It is great to have someone who can help you understand the nuances of dating and give you practical advice to achieve your goals. I am now living with my girlfriend.” (Mark, 31)
“The advice and support that I’ve received from Rachel has changed as my life has. Rachel has been the honest and critical friend, the scholar in the psychology of relationships and the supportive counsellor. When I was single and then in the early stages of a relationship, she helped me debrief from dates and process my thoughts and emotions. As my relationship has slowly matured I’ve needed her support less frequently, but when things get difficult she still helps me analyse the situation, understand my partner’s perspective, and communicate. I know that lessons she’s taught me will translate to and help many different people in their dating lives, and if you’ve learnt anything from her blog posts, she could help you too.” (Neil, 29)
“I got in touch with Rachel about someone I had been dating for a few months. I was unsure how to move the relationship forward and how to make sense of what was happening. Through Rachel’s coaching I was able to build my confidence. Rachel was able to put my mind at ease and was a great sounding board. She gave me practical advice, which helped move me forward. Rachel helped me move forward by revamping my profile, building my confidence again and working with me to identify my relationship needs. I couldn’t believe all the flaws she managed to find in the profile that I paid good money for from a dating profile service. Rachel provided lots of helpful suggestions around messaging and specific dating issues that were relevant to me. Rachel was also on hand to answer ad-hoc email queries in between sessions at short notice. I’ve now been in a happy relationship for five years and my partner and I have just had our first child. Thanks again, Rachel!” (Ben, 32)
“Rachel has given me a lot of detailed advice and feedback on the way I message women online. Before her input, I had not got any dates over a year, but after just a couple of hours of her input, I got two dates! I’ve learnt a lot about what women value and how to communicate. Now we’re working on conversational skills during the dates! Rachel is very dedicated and passionate about making dating more successful.” (Dave, 48)
“After several years of dating with declining enthusiasm and what felt like continuous disappointments and let downs I was feeling pretty uninspired by dating, and had reached the point of giving up. I contacted Rachel as I was determined not to let online dating get the better of me. Rachel helped me truly discover and have confidence in what I want, need and deserve in dating and a relationship. I got the resilience and understanding of the dating world that I had craved, and I’ve now been dating my boyfriend for eleven months and it’s going really well. (I knew it was a good sign when he liked Rachel’s dating questions!)” (Harriet, 26)
“Rachel is thoughtful, a wonderful listener and a great coach. I came to Rachel with some anxiety about dating and I came out with a boost to my confidence, self-awareness and resilience. I loved using meditation and the psychology background. With Rachel I have gained more clarity about how to set boundaries in dating and how to express my needs to the other person, and this has already benefited me in other areas of my life too, not just dating. I’m also more clear about what I’m looking for in a man and what type of relationship I desire. It was overall a great experience in terms of my personal development – I would definitely recommend Rachel. Thanks, Rachel, for having such a positive impact on my life :)” (Isabel, 49)
“Rachel is an exceptional counsellor and coach – a wonderful listener who asks the right questions to get to the very heart of a problem. Passionate, wise and thoroughly INSPIRATIONAL!” (Clare, 48)
“Rachel gives great advice that has helped me sort out some difficult problems. She has enabled me to see things from others’ perspective, and has inspired me to change the way I deal with situations. Rachel is one of the few adults I feel comfortable talking to and has many creative ideas that has impacted and benefited my thinking.” (Rebecca, 18)
“Rachel advised me on how to edit my online profile and after getting almost no messages for six months, I have now been seeing someone for ten weeks! Thank you, Rachel!” (Gary, 40)
“Before talking to Rachel I had considered that my anxieties and concerns would not be understood by others. Rachel has proved me wrong. I have found her to be extremely insightful and wise, possessing what appears to be a natural gift in understanding how people relate to one another and how they formulate thoughts, opinions, and emotions. Her guidance held much weight and credibility. Much of what she had advised has resonated with me deeply, causing me to reflect on my perspective, and helping me to cherish situations which I had otherwise seen as failures and obstacles.” (Ajay, 36)
“Rachel has been helping me for around five months with dating and gives such genuine, honest advice which really works. She prepared me for how when you develop online relationships, the face-to-face experience doesn’t live up to expectations and she was completely right! Rachel is not afraid to be honest (even if the truth is not what you want to hear) which has helped me so much. She has given me the confidence and the social skills to express and be honest about my own needs. My approach towards dating has improved dramatically.” (Sam, 41)
“Over the last few months, I have experienced some difficult challenges in my love life, which have been very painful and involved facing up to reality. Rachel has been very supportive, focusing on my sense of self-worth, what I need in a relationship, and how I need to deal with endings and a feeling of rejection differently. Rachel has been gentle but firm, wise and patient. I would definitely recommend her for helping to make sense of your relationship needs.” (Sally, 46)
“Rachel’s help setting up a profile and learning the ropes of online dating has been invaluable. Her advice on choice of photos, wording on the content of the profile, and insights into appropriate ways to message women have been second to none. I was very impressed with her knowledge of all the latest research on dating which was so relevant. I would strongly recommend her to anyone new or old to dating!” (Thomas, 43)
“I had quite severe social anxiety before I met Rachel. I always wanted to approach women on the street or in the shopping mall, especially those women I was attracted to, just to say hello and give them an honest compliment. But the fact is I have never done it before… until today… I asked for Rachel’s help and everything has changed. I approached a lot of women and I finally did something very, very important in my life. I took action. I wouldn’t be have been able to do that without Rachel’s help. I can’t be more grateful for her help to show me my own (very well tucked away) hidden confidence and I can hardly believe that I could actually do that. I wholeheartedly recommend Rachel’s coaching to any man who wishes to overcome their own social anxiety. She is a lovely person and her help is worth gold for you to find the woman you deserve. After the session I actually found myself continuing to approach more and more women… and it felt amazing doing something that I had never done before.” (Istvan, 51)
“Meeting Rachel was great, she was easy to talk to and very relaxed. I was actually considering walking away from a new relationship, but after talking these things through we came up with some practical steps that I could take to help. Rachel also helped me to think more deeply about why my concerns were so important to me and why they were having such an impact on this new relationship. After meeting with Rachel I felt more equipped to change some of my responses and communicate more effectively about what was bothering me. I thought it was going to be awkward talking about it, but it was better than fine … It was amazing! I now feel more confident to really talk about things rather than letting them fester. Thank you, Rachel!” (Becky, 47)
“Rachel approached her dating consultation with me in good spirit and good humour. You will feel at ease with her and it will be obvious that she relies on a vast pool of statistics. I think that for whatever you get from her the cost is reasonable and worth every penny.” (Derek, 57)
“I found my conversation with Rachel very informative. It opened my eyes to possible improvements for my online dating profile, and I gained useful tips for my first date. My consultation gave me great insights for my future dating experiences. Thanks so much, Rachel!” (Malik, 36)
Some names have been changed to protect anonymity. Ethnicities, ages and gender identities have been retained.
Rachel has been recognized as one of the Top Dating Coaches by Coach Foundation.