I’m a certified dating and relationship coach for gay men, based in London. Since 2020 I’ve helped gay guys break out of toxic relationship patterns, deal with love addiction and build relationships that feel safe instead of exhausting.
Dario van der Kraken
Gay dating & relationship coach
London, UK · Sessions online worldwide
Qualifications and experience
- Certified Transformative Coach, trained with the Animas Centre for Coaching
- Coaching gay men one to one since 2020, online and in London
- Author of Happy You, Healthy Love, my guide to overcoming love addiction and finding healthy relationships
- Guest on How To Date Men, the dating podcast from Gaydar
- A community of 10,000+ on Instagram, where I share free advice every week
- 10+ years of professional work on why people behave the way they do online (my day job is conversion optimisation)
Why I do this
All through my twenties, the thing I wanted most was a relationship that would make everything better. I tried hard. I kept ending up with more heartache.
Out of desperation I went into therapy, and it’s still the best investment I’ve ever made. It was the first time I could actually see my relationship patterns, understand where they came from and start changing them.
Coaching gay men is my way of paying that forward. I know what it’s like to feel like you’re the problem, to keep choosing the same kind of man, or to be terrified of being left. None of that is a life sentence.
Where I am now
I live in London with my partner Nico and our two boys, a very happy (and very busy) two-dad family. I’m Italian, but a Londoner at heart. When I’m not coaching you’ll find me drinking coffee or on a tennis court, and my favourite holiday is a remote island.
Who I work with
Gay and bi men who are:
- stuck in a cycle of toxic or unhappy relationships
- dealing with love addiction or anxious attachment
- struggling to find a boyfriend, or always falling for unavailable men
- anxious in their current relationship or scared of being abandoned
- moving on after a break-up
What coaching is not. I’m a coach, not a therapist or counsellor. Coaching is about the present and the future: patterns, choices and practical change. If you’re dealing with trauma, depression or a mental health crisis, a qualified therapist is the right first step, and I’ll happily point you towards one.
What clients say
“Dario has outstanding and excellent listening skills. His way of paraphrasing allowed me to have deep reflection inside myself.”Dhinny E.
Work with me
I’m currently fully booked and not taking new clients. Join the waiting list and you’ll be the first to know when a slot opens.
Last reviewed: November 2026