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THE LIFE COACH

Published courtesy of TimeOut Beijing, February 2010, the Happiness issue.

Meeting a life coach is not unlike a blind date; there’s the anxiousness, the exchange of life stories, even the vain hope of a happy ending.

However, there the similarity ends. Were you to reveal your inner desires on a first date, a second would seem unlikely; here, it rather depends upon it.

I meet Small Steps life coach Dalida Turkovic in the frozen tundra of Ritan Park for our ‘walk and talk’ session. ‘The aim of this is not happiness,’ she states rather bluntly, ‘that’s the first thing we explain to people.’

Instead, you tell her what you want from life (a new career, more confidence, a relationship, etc) and she identifies what you need to do to get there. She’s less a therapist than destiny’s travel agent, but to the therapy cynic this kind of utilitarianism is intriguing as you cross off ‘life obstacles’ like ticking items on a shopping list.

The payoff Dalida is an easy figure to talk to. However, those looking for more than just a rent-a-friend need to be specific about their goals otherwise you’ll just end up with a lousy cold.

For individual life coaching contact Dalida Turkovic on 6416 1667 or email dalida@small-steps-coaching.com. Individual coaching costs 6,000RMB for 10 sessions.