Dating Coach NYC

Which NYC dating coaches did I check?

Look up “dating coach NYC” and most of the coach sites near the top are built for men. I wanted the coaches a woman could hire, so on October 21, 2026, I opened each coach’s own website and kept the ones that say they work in New York City or with clients there. Nine made the table. Two of them coach men, and I marked them so you can skip them. I list a price only when the coach publishes it.

Provider	Type	Serves	Published price	Refund policy	Who it suits
The City of Dating (Stevie Bowen)	Dating coach	New York, New York; sessions mostly on Zoom, in person on request	$600 for 4 weekly 45-minute sessions (its website) Oct 21, 2026	Not stated for coaching. Her returns page says all website purchases are final.	Women and men burnt out on the apps who want weekly 1:1 sessions; a free call comes first
Donna Barnes, NY Dating Coach	Dating coach	Online by Zoom or phone; client reviews on her site are signed New York, NY and Queens, NY	$375 for one 90-minute virtual session (its website) Oct 21, 2026	Not stated publicly	Dating after divorce or widowhood, or a run of unavailable partners; she coaches men and women
Dr. Lee Phillips	Dating coach	Office on East 66th Street, New York; in person for NYC residents (limited), or online	$240 per coaching session (its website) Oct 21, 2026	Not stated. Coaching isn't covered by insurance; a sliding scale is available.	People who want a licensed therapist as their coach; 45-minute sessions and a free 15 to 20 minute consult
spiral2grow (Moshe Ratson, LMFT)	Dating coach	Midtown Manhattan office near Grand Central, or by video	Not published	Not stated. Therapy appointments need 48 hours' notice to cancel.	Singles held back by social anxiety who want a licensed therapist; free 15-minute phone consult
emlovz Dating Decoded (women's program)	Dating coach	Women in NYC; an online group program with in-person NYC meetups and a local NYC coach	Not published	Not stated publicly	Women who want a group program with weekly calls; it says it has worked with women from 18 to 75
Agape Match	Coach + matchmaker	Says it is based in New York	$197 for The Forever Blueprint, an on-demand course (its website) Oct 21, 2026	Not stated on the course page	People who want a matchmaking firm that also coaches; the course is the cheapest way in
Project Soulmate	Coach + matchmaker	Manhattan; office at 1015 Madison Avenue	Not published	Not stated publicly	Professionals who want matchmaking and coaching from one Manhattan team; has a free database
Dating By Blaine	Dating coach	Men in New York City, coached remotely	$149 course; $1,295 masterclass; $4,985 for 1-on-1 coaching (its website) Oct 21, 2026	Says he offers a money-back guarantee; no terms on the page	Men only in practice: his NYC page is written for men who want help with apps and meeting women
Connell Barrett (Dating Transformation)	Dating coach	Lists an address on West 32nd Street, New York; coaches clients in many countries	Not published	Not stated on the home page	Men only: his site says he only coaches men

A few things the table can’t hold:

• Stevie Bowen runs The City of Dating and lists her business as New York, New York. Her sessions are mostly on Zoom, and she offers in-person sessions now and then if you ask. The City of Dating · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Dr. Lee Phillips is a licensed relationship therapist with an office on East 66th Street. His coaching sessions run online or in person, and he says in-person time is limited and for New York City residents. Dr. Lee Phillips · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Moshe Ratson, LMFT, runs spiral2grow from Midtown Manhattan, near Grand Central. You can see him there or by video. spiral2grow · checked Oct 21, 2026
• emlovz runs a group program for women with its own NYC page. The company lists a San Francisco address, but it names a local NYC coach and holds in-person meetups in the city. emlovz NYC page · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Donna Barnes coaches by Zoom or phone. Her site is called NY Dating Coach, her bio talks about dating in NYC since the 1980s, and her client reviews are signed from New York and Queens. NY Dating Coach · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Agape Match and Project Soulmate are matchmaking firms that also coach. Agape Match says it is based in New York Agape Match · checked Oct 21, 2026, and Project Soulmate lists an office at 1015 Madison Avenue Project Soulmate · checked Oct 21, 2026.

How to pick a coach works the same in any city, and my dating coach near me guide walks through it.

Dating coach NYC prices: what do coaches charge?

Of the seven providers in my table that aren’t men’s coaches, four publish a number, and one of those numbers is for a course. Here they are on one scale, with Blaine’s men’s prices added for comparison.

$0$1.3k$2.5k$3.8k$5k

Agape Match: on-demand course

$197

Dr. Lee Phillips: one coaching session

$240

Donna Barnes: one 90-minute virtual session

$375

Stevie Bowen: 4 weekly 45-minute sessions

$600

Stevie Bowen: 8 weekly 45-minute sessions

$1,200

Dating By Blaine (men): course to 1-on-1 coaching

$149–$4,985

1. Agape Match: on-demand course (published on its website) · checked Oct 21, 2026
2. Dr. Lee Phillips: one coaching session (published on its website) · checked Oct 21, 2026
3. Donna Barnes: one 90-minute virtual session (published on its website) · checked Oct 21, 2026
4. Stevie Bowen: 4 weekly 45-minute sessions (published on its website) · checked Oct 21, 2026
5. Stevie Bowen: 8 weekly 45-minute sessions (published on its website) · checked Oct 21, 2026
6. Dating By Blaine (men): course to 1-on-1 coaching (published on its website) · checked Oct 21, 2026

The bars leave some things out:

• Stevie Bowen’s four-week program is $600 paid in full, or two payments of $300. Anti-Burnout Dating · checked Oct 21, 2026 Her eight-week program is $1,200, or $600 a month for two months. Slow Burn Dating · checked Oct 21, 2026 Both include email support between sessions, and both require a free call before you buy.
• Dr. Lee Phillips lists one coaching rate, $240 a session, and a sliding scale based on financial need. His fees page says coaching isn’t covered by insurance. Dr. Lee Phillips fees · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Donna Barnes charges $375 for a 90-minute virtual session, and her order page offers 3 more hours for $597. Donna Barnes · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Agape Match’s $197 buys an on-demand course you can finish in a weekend, sold on its founder’s site. Its home page lists the course under date coaching. Agape Match · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Blaine’s prices are for men: $149 for a course, $1,295 for a masterclass and $4,985 to work 1-on-1 with a coach on his team. Dating By Blaine · checked Oct 21, 2026
• spiral2grow, emlovz, Project Soulmate and Connell Barrett don’t post prices. spiral2grow says it confirms your fee before the first session and offers a sliding scale. spiral2grow fees · checked Oct 21, 2026

For what coaches charge across the country, see my dating coach cost page.

Why do so many New York dating coaches work with men?

The coach sites that rank highest for this search mostly talk to men. Connell Barrett’s site says he only coaches men. Connell Barrett · checked Oct 21, 2026 Blaine’s NYC page says he helps men in New York City find girlfriends. Dating By Blaine · checked Oct 21, 2026 Craft of Charisma calls its 8-week program a dating coaching program for men. Craft of Charisma · checked Oct 21, 2026 NYC Wingwoman’s home page opens with a pitch to men NYC Wingwoman · checked Oct 21, 2026, and its coaching page is written for men too, though one of its coaches says he has worked with both men and women. NYC Wingwoman coaching · checked Oct 21, 2026

There’s nothing wrong with any of that if you’re a man. If you’re a woman who keeps dating men who aren’t sure about you, look for someone who works on that problem. A coach who mostly teaches men to approach women may be great at their job and still be the wrong fit for you.

A few coaches near the top of the search do work with women:

• emlovz has a women’s NYC page and says it has worked with women from 18 to 75. emlovz · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Grace Lee of A Good First Date calls herself a dating coach and a matchmaker, and her home page says joining her matchmaking is free. A Good First Date · checked Oct 21, 2026 Her about page says she moved to NYC as a single mom. Her site doesn’t give an address or say where she meets coaching clients, so I left her out of the table. Grace Lee · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Kelsey Wonderlin calls herself a licensed therapist and dating coach for women. Her site doesn’t say where she’s based, so she’s not in my table either. Kelsey Wonderlin · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Jacqueline Schatz’s dating coaching page ranks for this search too, but her site wouldn’t load when I tried it on October 21.

If you want a coach who works only with women, my dating coach for women guide covers what to look for. Over 50? Start with dating coach for women over 50.

What does a session with an NYC dating coach look like?

Most of the coaches here follow the same rough order, even when they give the steps different names.

1. 1Free first call
2. 2Your dating history and goals
3. 3A plan for the next few months
4. 4Weekly or every-other-week sessions
5. 5Practice between sessions
6. 6A check-in at the end

Four of them spell out the details on their own sites:

• Dr. Lee Phillips starts with your dating history and goals. Then he builds a plan, which can include a look at your dating apps and a “date-me doc.” After that come skill practice, from conversation starters to body language, and honest feedback. Sessions are 45 minutes, weekly, every other week or monthly. Dr. Lee Phillips · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Stevie Bowen meets weekly for 45 minutes on Zoom. In the second session she refreshes your dating app profile with you, live, and she checks in by email about a month after your last session. The City of Dating · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Grace Lee starts by asking what’s going wrong, then sets goals for the next three months. The work after that can cover your profile, texting, and patterns like feeling anxious after a second date. A Good First Date · checked Oct 21, 2026
• emlovz is a group program. You get an online curriculum, weekly live coaching calls, a private client community and a 20-minute onboarding call once you enroll. emlovz · checked Oct 21, 2026

A coach works on your side of dating: who you pick, how you show up, and what you do when a date goes sideways. A coach can’t hand you dates. That’s a matchmaker’s job. For more on what coaching covers, read what is a dating coach.

When I came back to dating after my divorce, I treated it like a job search. I went on 31 dates, kept a spreadsheet and cried in the car 19 times. It took me about fourteen months to stop auditioning.

Should you see an NYC coach in person or online?

Most coaches here work online. Blaine says most dating coaches, himself included, practice remotely. Dating By Blaine · checked Oct 21, 2026 NYC Wingwoman’s 8-week program is remote coaching from a team. NYC Wingwoman · checked Oct 21, 2026 Stevie Bowen works mostly on Zoom.

You can still find in-person time. Dr. Lee Phillips sees some NYC residents in his office, spiral2grow has its Midtown office, and emlovz runs in-person NYC meetups and offers mock dates online or in person. emlovz · checked Oct 21, 2026 For men, Craft of Charisma runs live practice in New York nightlife. Craft of Charisma · checked Oct 21, 2026

Here’s how I’d split it. Online is fine for your profile, your texts, your patterns and someone to answer to each week. In person helps when you freeze up face to face and want to practice on a mock date.

One more thing to know if you hire a therapist who coaches. Dr. Lee Phillips explains on his site that psychotherapy has to happen where the therapist is licensed, while coaching can be offered across jurisdictions. Dr. Lee Phillips · checked Oct 21, 2026 So ask which one you’re getting, because it changes what they can work on with you. The dating coach online guide covers how remote coaching works.

What do New Yorkers say about dating here?

In February 2018, NY1 talked to Meredith Golden, a matchmaker and dating coach who lives on the Upper West Side. Its headline called her NYC’s “Tinder Whisperer.” She called New York a great dating pool and said people here often hold out for someone better. Her tips included sticking to one app, staying off the apps on weekends and moving fast from messages to an in-person plan. NY1, Feb 14, 2018 · checked Oct 21, 2026

That same year, ABC7 New York interviewed Sameera Sullivan, who runs a matchmaking service. She called New York one of the hardest places to date, especially for successful women, and the story put that down to the sheer number of options. She told people to meet in person more and lean on the phone less. ABC7 New York, Aug 2, 2018 · checked Oct 21, 2026

In 2017, InsideHook wrote about Cher Gopman, who founded NYC Wingwoman. Most of her clients were men, with a few women, and her prices went up to $200 an hour back then. The story said New York has plenty of dating coaches and that she was one of the few women among them. InsideHook, May 13, 2017 · checked Oct 21, 2026

And in March 2026, Gothamist reported on “Date My Friend,” an event where people pitch their single friends to a room full of singles. The first New York night sold out, and the story describes people who came after deleting their dating apps. Gothamist, March 23, 2026 · checked Oct 21, 2026

Golden’s app rules sound a lot like mine. When I was on the apps, I was making about 40 micro-decisions a day. I deleted them for six months, and my personality came back. Now I keep it to 15 minutes a day, no swiping after 9 p.m., and I don’t open the app on a bad day. I met two good people on the apps, so I don’t think they’re useless. My view is that your attention runs out long before the matches do.

Do you need a dating coach or a matchmaker in New York?

A coach makes sense when the problem is how you date. A matchmaker makes sense when the problem is who you meet, and you have more money than time. A therapist who coaches makes sense when old hurt keeps getting in the way.

The matchmaker prices come from two firms on my professional matchmaker NYC page. Master Matchmakers lists $3,500 to $35,000 for a premium search, with no personal coaching at the low end and full coaching at the top. Master Matchmakers pricing · checked Oct 21, 2026 LUMA lists $20,000 to $250,000 or more for full-service matchmaking and sells date coaching as an extra. LUMA cost page · checked Oct 21, 2026

Not sure which one you need? Take the four-question quiz.

60-second quiz

Coach or matchmaker?

1 of 4What do you want most right now?

More good first dates with people I would not find myselfTo understand my patterns and stop repeating themHonestly, I am not sure yet

For a longer side-by-side, read matchmaker vs dating coach. If you’re weighing therapy, dating coach vs therapist covers when to start there.

Does New York law cover dating coaches?

New York has a law for “social referral services.” It’s General Business Law § 394-c, and I read it on the New York State Senate site on October 21, 2026. NY GBL § 394-c · checked Oct 21, 2026

The law defines a social referral service as one that matches members for a fee, for dating or social contact. It lists “dating counseling” as an ancillary service, next to things like photography and dating etiquette, and it says a provider can’t make you buy one as a condition of the matchmaking contract. The text doesn’t mention coaching. Whether it covers a coach who doesn’t match anyone is a question for a lawyer.

For the services it does cover, the law says:

• You can cancel within three business days after you get a written copy of the contract, with no cancellation fee.
• Your money comes back within ten business days after the seller gets your notice.
• A contract over $25 has to promise a set number of referrals a month.
• The contract can’t require a cash price over $1,000 or run longer than two years. Some online dating plans of a year or less are exempt from the $1,000 cap.
• You can put your membership on hold for up to a year by writing to them.
• The seller has to give you a separate “Dating Service Consumer Bill of Rights.”

None of the coaches in my table states a refund policy for coaching on the pages I checked, apart from Blaine’s guarantee with no terms. So get the price, the number of sessions and the refund terms in writing before you pay. If something goes wrong, the New York Attorney General takes consumer complaints online. NY Attorney General · checked Oct 21, 2026 For the state-by-state picture, see dating service contract cancellation rights.

What are the red flags when you hire a coach?

Most coaches are decent people selling help with something hard. A few patterns should still make you slow down:

• They want you to pay on the first call, or the price is only good today.
• They promise you’ll be in a relationship by a certain date. Nobody can promise that.
• They teach rules or scripts meant to game the other person.
• They won’t put the price, the number of sessions and the refund terms in writing.
• They start working on trauma or grief without a license. Dr. Lee Phillips draws that line on his own site: therapy deals with pain from the past, and coaching deals with goals for now and later. Dr. Lee Phillips · checked Oct 21, 2026
• Their whole site is about men approaching women, and you want help with who you pick.

For more on telling a good coach from a bad one, read are dating coaches scams.

What should you ask an NYC dating coach on the first call?

Keep this open on your phone during the call. A good coach will answer all of it without getting cagey.

Questions for the first call

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1. 1. Do you work with women my age, and what do you help them with?
2. 2. Where do we meet: in person in New York, on Zoom or by phone?
3. 3. How long is a session, and how often do we meet?
4. 4. What is the total price, in writing?
5. 5. What happens to my money if I stop early?
6. 6. Can I email or text you between sessions?
7. 7. Are you a licensed therapist, and is this coaching or therapy?
8. 8. What would you never tell me to do on a date?
9. 9. Can I talk to a past client?

From Dating Coach Online · datingcoachonline.com · By Maya, Dating Coach

There are more in questions to ask a dating coach.

Can I work with you from New York?

Yes. I’m a dating coach based in Portland, and I coach online, so it doesn’t matter if you live in Manhattan, Brooklyn or the Bronx. Here’s how it works:

1. You fill in the short form on this page. It comes to me.
2. I email you to set up a free online consultation.
3. We talk about what’s going on and what you’ve already tried.
4. If you want to keep working together, I tell you my price and what it includes before you pay anything. Saying no is fine.

If a New York coach, a therapist or a matchmaker turns out to be the better fit after we talk, that’s fine. You’ll go into those calls knowing what to ask. Book a free consultation when you’re ready, or browse other cities on the matchmakers and dating coaches by city page.