Dating and Relationships Counseling In Austin, TX

Maybe every relationship seems to hit the same wall. Maybe you’re not sure how to trust someone new. Maybe you’re newly single and don’t recognize the patterns you keep repeating—or you do, and you’re ready to change them.

Dating and relationship counseling is individual therapy focused on you: your patterns, your attachment style, and the relationship you’re building with yourself, before and between the ones you build with other people. At Just Mind Counseling, we help you understand what’s been getting in the way and build the skills to date and connect differently.

Get Matched With a Dating & Relationships Therapist

Whether you’re single, dating, or navigating a breakup, we’ll match you with a therapist who fits your situation.

Common Reasons People Seek Dating & Relationship Counseling

You don’t need to be in a relationship to benefit from relationship counseling. We can help with:

Repeating Patterns: Finding yourself in the same kind of relationship, or the same kind of conflict, over and over? We’ll help you spot the pattern and interrupt it.
Attachment & Trust Issues: Whether you lean anxious, avoidant, or somewhere in between, we’ll help you understand where it comes from and how to build more secure connections.
Dating Anxiety & Burnout: Between apps, ghosting, and the pressure to “put yourself out there,” dating can feel exhausting. We’ll help you approach it with less dread and more clarity.
Life After a Breakup: Processing a breakup, rebuilding your sense of self, and figuring out what you actually want next.
Fear of Commitment (or Fear of Being Alone): Both are common, and both are workable. We’ll help you understand what’s driving it.
Low Confidence in Relationships: Struggling to know your worth, set boundaries, or speak up for what you need? We’ll help you build that muscle.

Not sure where to start? We’ll help you figure out what’s actually going on.

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“I feel more comfortable in my life and have started thinking more positively. I can even share my feelings with my husband now.” – Shamim

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Types of Dating & Relationship Counseling

Everyone’s relationship history is different, and so is the support that helps. At Just Mind, we offer:

Attachment-Focused Counseling: Understand your attachment style and work toward more secure, less anxious ways of connecting with others.
Dating Pattern Work: Identify the patterns—who you’re drawn to, how you show up, what you avoid—that keep showing up across relationships.
Post-Breakup & Divorce Recovery: Process the loss, rebuild your identity outside the relationship, and move forward without carrying old patterns into the next one.
Confidence & Communication Skills: Build the self-assurance and communication tools to date and connect the way you actually want to.
LGBTQ+ Dating & Relationship Support: Affirming, specialized support for LGBTQ+ individuals navigating dating and relationships.
Support for Long-Term Singleness: For those who want help feeling settled and whole, whether or not dating is currently a priority.

Unsure Which Approach Fits? We’ll help you figure it out.

Our Related Counseling Options

Not quite what you’re looking for? Here are some other relationship-focused options:

Couples Therapy: Working through it together, with your partner in the room?
Premarital, Marriage & Divorce Counseling: Looking for support at a specific life stage, from engagement through a long marriage to deciding what’s next?
LGBTQ+ Couples Counseling: Affirming, specialized support for LGBTQ+ partners.

Our Approach to Dating & Relationship Counseling

Our therapists draw on proven, research-backed methods tailored to your history and goals:

Attachment Theory: Understand how your early relationships shape your patterns now, and what secure attachment can look like for you.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Reshape the thought patterns that keep you stuck in the same relationship dynamics.
Internal Family Systems (IFS): Understand the different “parts” of you that show up in dating and relationships, including the ones trying to protect you.
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT): Build emotional awareness and regulation to show up differently in future relationships.

Not sure which approach fits you? No problem, our therapists will help you find the right one.

Our Commitment to Every Client

At Just Mind Counseling, we believe everyone deserves support in building the relationships they want, no matter their background, identity, or relationship history. We proudly work with:

LGBTQ+ individuals
People navigating interracial or intercultural dating
Clients across all socioeconomic backgrounds
People re-entering dating after divorce, loss, or a long relationship
Military and long-distance daters

Getting Started with Dating & Relationship Counseling

Here’s how it works:

Assessment: We’ll talk through your relationship history and what you’re hoping to change.
Patterns: We’ll identify what’s driving the cycle, whether it’s attachment, confidence, or something else.
Solutions: We’ll work through evidence-based strategies tailored to you.
Practice: We’ll give you tools to use in real dating and relationship situations between sessions.
Support: We’ll check in as you keep building.

Some people see change in a few sessions; others go longer. We’ll tailor the pace to you!

Find a Dating & Relationship Therapist Today

The therapists below specialize in dating & relationships counseling.

Abi Tesfaye, LPC

Alan Nelson, LPC

Alvaro Herrera, LPC Associate, NCC

Supervised by Diana Garza-Louis, LPC-S, RPT-S

Alyssa Van Lopik, LCSW

Ana Sofia Guerra, LPC Associate

Supervised by Eva Escobedo, LPC-S

Andrea Loftus Chavez, LMFT Associate

Supervised by Brittany Whallen, LMFT-S

Andrea Oberhauser, LPC Associate

Supervised by Kimberley Mead, LPC-S

Ariana Freshour, LPC

Bella Lyon, LMFT

Bill Campbell, LPC

Brett Brightwell, LMFT

Caitlin Senger, LPC, PMH-C

Celina McDonald, LPC

Courtney Lougheed, LPC

Daniel Crooks, LPC Associate

Supervised by Eva Escobedo, LPC-S

David Jenkins, LCSW

Dorian Rinehart, LCSW

Eric Robertson, JD, LPC Associate, LCDC-I

Supervised by Lisa Blackwood, LPC-S, LCDC

Eva Escobedo, LPC-S

Evan Sadler, LCSW

Gabi Ghag, LPC Associate

Supervised by Kimberley Mead, LPC-S

Helen Evans, LCSW

Jennifer Shub, PsyD

Julie Osofsky, LPC

Kari Somera, LPC

Keith Cantrell, LPC

Kellie Caroselli, LPC

Kris Downing, LCSW-S, SEP

Kyoko Kamishima, LCSW

Laura Banks, LCSW-S

Laura Gómez-Horton LCSW-S

Leila Levinson, LCSW

Lindsay Schneeberger, LPC

Malka Fenig, LPC, NCC

Marie-Michele Atkinson, LMFT

Matt Murphy, LMFT Associate

Supervised by Daniel Brake, LMFT-S

Mike Rosenthal, LMSW

Patty Monical, PhD, LMFT, LPC-S

Phil Rogers, LMFT Associate

Supervised by Sarah Dunlap, PhD, LMFT-S

Priyanka LoSasso, LCSW

Not sure which therapist is the best match? We'll help you find the right one!

Have a Question? We Have Answers.

Dating Counseling

What do healthy relationships look like?

Healthy relationships involve honesty, trust, respect and open communication between partners and they take effort and compromise from both people. There is no imbalance of power. Partners respect each other’s independence, can make their own decisions without fear of retribution or retaliation, and share decisions. If or when a relationship ends, there is no stalking or refusal to let the other partner go.

How do you create trust in relationships?

Trust is something that is built in time and even through working through difficult times.
Be vulnerable and open in your relationship but do it gradually.
Remember the role of respect.
Give the benefit of the doubt.
Express your feelings functionally, especially when it’s tough.
Healthy relationships look like the recycling symbol, what you put in you get back.

See our post on “Rebuilding Trust in Relationships” by Emily Stone, PhD.

How do I know if I am ready to date?

You start have spent some time alone and worked on taking care of yourself.
You are willing to be vulnerable.
You aren’t bitter about past relationships.
You start to feel excited about dating again.
You are making the choice to date for the right reasons.
You have insight that’s come out of past relationships.
You feel you are emotionally available and willing to date.

Knowing when to date isn’t an exact process. Sometimes casual dating can help us move on from the past and help us to figure out what we want in the future (and be fun). Pay attention to your gut. If you feel like you are dating to try and avoid pain, then that is likely what you need to work through first.

How do I know when I am ready to commit?

Assessing when you are ready to commit can take some time and it’s different for everyone. Below are 10 questions to help you consider if you are ready to commit to a relationship:

Do you feel that you are still unresolved from a past break up? Sometimes it can take some time before you are ready for new committed relationship and that’s not a bad thing.
Are you aware of your emotional triggers and know how to cope with them on your own?
Do you have the ability to present who you are and want to become clearly and honestly?
Does the idea of committing feel exciting or confining to you?
Are you able to be vulnerable with someone new?
How resilient do you feel to relationship challenges?
Do you understand that love and commitment need constant reinvestment of time, energy, and love?
Can you view a committed relationship as an ever-transforming entity?
Knowing your emotional triggers, are you screening for this in assessing your relationship prospects?
Do you still believe that great long-term relationships are possible?

How do I deal with my partner’s sexual history?

Take your time with this. If people have differences in their past, it can bring up a lot of anxiety or shame.
If their past has been painful, validate their pain.
Sometimes it can be more productive to focus on your sexual preferences in the current relationship instead of what it has been historically.
Realize that there is a reason the past is in the past.
Everyone has a past – including you.
Focus on making the present better.

What's the difference between dating & relationship counseling and couples therapy?

Dating & relationship counseling is individual therapy: you’re working on your own patterns, attachment style, and relationship with yourself, whether or not you’re currently dating anyone. Couples therapy involves both partners working on the relationship together.

Do I need to be dating someone to start relationship counseling?

Not at all. Many clients come in single, whether they’re taking a break from dating, healing after a breakup, or want to understand their patterns before getting back out there.

How do I know if my dating patterns are actually a problem?

If you keep noticing the same dynamic, whether it’s who you’re drawn to, how relationships end, or how you feel about yourself in them, that’s worth exploring. You don’t need a crisis to benefit from counseling.

Can this help with anxiety around dating apps?

Yes. Dating app fatigue and anxiety are common, and we can help you approach dating with more intention and less overwhelm.

Is dating & relationship counseling covered by insurance?

Coverage varies by provider and plan. We recommend checking with your insurance company directly. If you have questions, check out our rates and insurance or contact our office.

How long does this type of counseling take?

It depends on what you’re working through. Some clients make progress in a few months; others benefit from longer-term support as they build new patterns. We’ll create a plan that fits your goals.