Wan, 28, invested over 500 USD in a 24/7 relationship counseling package for one month, hoping to salvage a broken relationship.
After a 90-minute consultation, the coaching team concluded that Wan's insecurity pressured her partner, leading to the relationship's breakdown. They attributed this to her not receiving sufficient affection from her parents during childhood.
Wan was offered a one-month service package. It required her to cut off contact with her ex-boyfriend for the first 21 days, change her appearance, and develop new conversation topics. She was also instructed to post on social media to showcase positive personal changes. The consulting firm promised a success rate of up to 90% if clients adhered to their guidance.
Despite diligently following all instructions, Wan's ex-boyfriend blocked her on messaging applications. When she questioned the initial success commitment, she received no explanation. Instead, she was offered a more advanced package, priced at approximately 1,400 USD, with a more experienced consultant.
After six months, Wan finally accepted the reality of the situation. "When we first broke up, the pain was unbearable; I just longed for someone to support me," she shared. She admitted to worrying about the difficulty of finding a more suitable partner than her ex-boyfriend in the dating market.
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Illustration: Pexels |
In China, a growing number of individuals claiming to be relationship experts are promoting services designed to help clients reconcile with ex-partners. On social media platforms, the hashtags #getbacktogether and #datingskills have accumulated 970 million and 10,4 billion views, respectively.
The popularity of this content reflects the anxiety many women feel regarding societal pressures, where personal happiness is often linked to one's dating or marital status.
A professor specializing in relationship studies at Shenzhen University noted that many marriage counseling companies target those who have recently experienced a breakup, as they are often the most vulnerable.
Many clients readily spend thousands of USD on these services. One woman, for instance, paid about 2,800 USD for a package to "get back with her ex with her head held high". Since she initiated the divorce, she wanted her ex-husband to make the first move toward reconciliation, ensuring she wouldn't lose face with friends.
Increased demand fuels the boom of China's relationship counseling industry. The number of companies operating in this sector rose from approximately 18,000 in 2016 to 160,000 this year. However, the market remains largely unregulated. The consumer rights protection platform Black Cat has recorded over 3,000 complaints concerning unsuccessful relationship counseling services.
Ngoc Ngan (According to SCMP)
