Psychotherapist & Relationship Expert Rhonda Richards-Smith Takes a Mindful & No-Nonsense Approach to Dating

The Short Version: Enriched by her training as a psychotherapist, Rhonda Richards-Smith, LCSW, now brings her emotional intuition to the dating and relationship world. She works as a life coach, motivational speaker, and writer to encourage people to take control of their love lives and develop meaningful relationships. Her spot-on analysis has earned her national recognition from multiple media outlets including Match, Glamour, Teen Vogue, and The Huffington Post. In every blog post, coaching session, and speaking engagement, she advocates for a healthy work-life balance, mindful stress management, and intentional dating techniques to teach singles and couples how to sustain satisfying connections throughout their lives.Rhonda Richards-Smith

has formal training in psychotherapy, with a master’s degree in social welfare and a license as a clinical social worker, but her life’s passion is in working with women on improving their romantic relationships.

Rhonda Richards-Smith is a licensed therapist in California with a talent for speaking about love and relationships.

After conducting hundreds of therapy sessions with couples on the brink of divorce and individuals struggling with anxiety and depression, Rhonda realized that so many of their issues stemmed from an inability to connect meaningfully, securely, and indelibly with others.

“I noticed over time the profound impact relationships play with regards to overall wellness,” she explained. “Our relationships are at the center of everything. So I became interested in exploring how I can assist folks in finding healthy and loving relationships.”

Today, Rhonda is a highly knowledgeable speaker, writer, and relationship coach based in Los Angeles.

Rhonda has branched off from her work in mental health to address overall emotional health in everyday life. Drawing from over 15 years of experience, Rhonda has shared her words of wisdom with readers of US Weekly, The Huffington Post, Glamour, Brides, Redbook, and Ebony.

In her one-on-one coaching business, Rhonda primarily works with professional women ages 25 to 44. She sits down with people to talk about the importance of prioritizing and maintaining a healthy personal life on top of a successful career. She focuses on giving her clients the knowledge and inspiration to pursue the lives they want and the relationships they deserve.

“I’m a big proponent of living the life you want,” she told us. “Your goals should always be self-directed. You have to clear out the noise to be sure that the voices you’re listening to are your own.”

Over the years, Rhonda has been a guest blogger for multiple media outlets aligned with her philosophy of love and health. She has written articles for Match, Us Weekly, and Teen Vogue, among others, and is always networking with top industry leaders to spread her reach internationally.

Rhonda’s direct and heartfelt speaking style connects with audiences all over the world.

In 2016, Glamour interviewed Rhonda for her insights on how people know they’re with the person they should marry. The psychotherapist advised, “Give yourself some time to allow the relationship to withstand some of life’s tests before taking the next step.”

Whether she’s speaking at conferences or giving her two cents on expert panels, Rhonda aims to inform, advise, and empower daters everywhere. Her thoughtful analysis enlightens people on what makes a relationship work in the long run and how to intentionally cultivate satisfying personal lives.

Rhonda is ever-mindful of the deeper issues affecting daters and seeks to shine a light on the psychological factors behind relationship woes.

“My main focus is on relationships,” she told us. “It’s so important. When it clicks with folks and they realize they get to decide what their relationships look like — then everything changes for them.”

About once every month, Rhonda sits down to write a short but information-rich blog post for singles and couples online. These straight-to-the-point pep talks speak to common emotional issues that keep people from building healthy romantic connections.

From parenting tips to relationship no-nos, the blog covers a full range of issues in the dating and relationship space. Rhonda brings her learned perspective as a therapist to make her point in a persuasive and upbeat way.

“Many of us often try so hard to either replicate or reject the experiences of our parents,” she wrote in an article about resetting relationship patterns. “Whether through therapy, prayer, or self-reflection, examine what your family taught you about relationships and how these lessons may or may not be serving you well today.”

Rhonda invites readers to closely examine aspects of healthy relationships in easy-to-read blog posts.

Rhonda’s blog offers readers a direct line to expert advice free of charge. This is a terrific resource for anyone seeking quick tips or positive encouragement in their personal lives. These online tools supply the same therapeutic help of a coaching session in a more accessible and less intimidating platform.

In the coming months, Rhonda plans to launch an innovative online coaching program called Love In Sight to further engage with singles and couples seeking better ways to connect and communicate with one another. Anyone struggling through negative dating patterns can learn and grow from Rhonda’s growing online resources for active daters.

“You have to be clear about what it is you’re looking for,” she told us. “There’s a difference between who you should be with and who you’re pursuing.”

Rhonda’s empathetic and motivational voice empowers people to nurture healthy and happy relationships. She knows what to say to bring out the best in her clients and can show them how to turn their love lives around.

Oftentimes, Rhonda finds that her clients’ past experiences are behind their current relationship dilemmas, and her education as a therapist uniquely suits her to address those deep-seated issues. One client came to the coaching sessions feeling unworthy of love and unequipped for dating due to her family’s conflict-ridden past. The middle-aged single woman avoided commitment because she feared getting trapped in an abusive marriage like her mother was.

“It’s really important for my clients to take a no-nonsense approach to their love lives and make positive changes.” — Rhonda Richards-Smith, relationship expert, speaker, and writer

Rhonda coached the fearful single through those fears and pushed her to try online dating. Heartened by the therapist’s support, the woman was able to overcome her commitment issues and meet someone special. She has been in a loving relationship for over two years now.

“Her success was driven by understanding her issues of worthiness,” Rhonda said, “and recognizing that she deserves to have love.”

Rhonda loves seeing her clients transform over the weeks and months that she works with them. Her objective is to talk through any emotional roadblocks and help people see that their relationship goals are achievable. “Your life is your own,” she said, “and your experience is independent of your parents and anything you went through in childhood.”

Rhonda’s work as a mental health professional and clinical therapist helped her see how instrumental our personal relationships are to overall health and happiness. After more than a decade working closely with people of all backgrounds, the therapist decided to shift her focus toward relationships to positively influence anyone struggling to form and maintain quality personal connections.

Her dynamic love-oriented advice has been highlighted by top media outlets because it strikes a chord with audiences young and old. She makes a lasting impact on people by getting to the heart of what’s keeping daters from reaching their life goals.

Plus, working with Rhonda in one-to-one coaching sessions gives singles and couples the strength, courage, and knowledge to tackle all sorts of relationship issues. At every point in the dating process, Rhonda makes a point to stay positive and energetically encourage people to never give up on themselves.

“There’s no reason why dating has to be daunting, serious, or stressful,” she said. “Dating and marriage should be fun. You should do what you can to enjoy yourself in the moment you’re in — because it’s your life.”