Dating coaches

Here's a writer's firsthand account of getting advice from a dating coach.

Going into the article, I assumed she'd ask the coach questions about meeting men. Not true. She went into the experience having a boyfriend of almost two years.

Unsurprisingly, her dilemma involved taking that infamous next step. She wanted the coach to validate her decision to move in with her boyfriend.

Here's what happened during her session with the coach (Lauren):

After I explained my situation to Lauren, she told me that I was doing pretty well: I did my "romantic research" and secured an agreement from Greg about the steps we wanted to take together.

However, Lauren said that it sounded like a deadline for engagement —"an expiration date on the exploration phase" of our relationship, as she put it — would make me feel more secure.

The writer has the conversation with her boyfriend, and it's predictably a bit awkward. But she's still happy with the decision to move in together.

Would I ever visit a dating coach? Sure.

But I'd probably spend the days after our session analyzing why he/she was entirely wrong.

That's just the way it goes.