Relationship
Some signs your relationship is healthy
There’s an essential factor in your life which you just as easily hold the key to for keeping it safe and sound. And that’s relationships. They too can be healthy if only what you and your partner have assures your relationship is doing both of you good, individually as well as collectively.
If not, it’ll just shrivel away and leave you and your partner on no solid ground.
There is faith
Your partner believes in you even when you lose all faith in yourself. You know them completely as a person, inside out and acknowledge what they lack yet you do not talk about them behind their back to your family and friends.
You forget who you are so they bring you back to existence by reminding you and you do the same for them. When one falters, the other is there to pick them up and move forward again. This kind of affirmative faith in each other ensures a healthy relationship that will last a long time.
There is trust
You both trust each other enough to do things your own way yet remain loyal only to one another. You do not go looking into their personal stuff nor do they look into yours and trust each other to handle issues themselves, without cheating on the other. When they break a promise or cannot fulfill some responsibility, there is enough trust between you two that you do not hold it over their head and put baseless blames on them.
They do the same for you. If you have such an unflinching, unmoving trust in your relationship then it can stand the test of time because everything else in a relationship is based on the moral of trust. – Continue reading on next page
There is mutual acceptance
So you both know each other’s pasts; know the kind of upbringing you both had; all the past lovers you have been with; every past mistake you made yet both of you accept each other the way it is that is a sure sign for the relationship that is going to last. You do not try to control your partner to make them do things your way nor do they control you. Neither of you questions each other’s motives for doing what they do.
There is gratitude
You both appreciate the little things you do for each other. No one is waiting for the new job or for the salary bump; to move in to the different city, or for the next trip to make things interesting in the relationship.
You and your partner are truly grateful for what you have right now in the present. Both of you find contentment and peace with what you have together and no one plays the dangerous game of if only. There is no rushing into things either. Both you and your partner focus on the path you are walking upon together and the whole process of it, not the destination.
There is good communication
Both of you realise how essential it is to resolve petty little issues, work past temporary setbacks and be happy again. And in order to do that, there exists good communication between you and your partner. You speak your mind and do not mind what you speak.
There is no hesitation or withholding of anything between the two of you in fact, letting out what you both feel seems like the most comfortable thing to do. You both listen to one another and take heed of what the other wants, or what needs to be changed so things would be better.
Source: www.gistping.com
Interpersonal relationships are complex constructs that can make or break a work environment. It is essential to cultivate relationships that are more positive and productive in the workplace so that everyone feels comfortable, respected and appreciated.
For improved job satisfaction and happiness at work, take time to strengthen your work relationships
Here are some tips for successful relationship-building at work.
2. Set and meet expectations
Set expectations that are clearly defined and reasonably achievable. Be realistic with deadlines, and don’t overextend yourself or your team members. Ensure everyone is aware of the expectations and deadlines, so they can adequately prepare.
Discuss potential outcomes and consequences before starting any project or task. This way, everyone involved has a better understanding of what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. This will help prevent misunderstandings down the line.
Once expectations are set, work hard to meet those expectations to prove that you are a team player. When you meet deadlines, you demonstrate accountability and dependability. You show that you can be trusted.
3. Build trust
Strong professional relationships are built on trust and respect. To gain trust, you need to be reliable and trustworthy. Show that you can be relied upon by following through on your commitments and keeping your promises.
Be honest and upfront with others, even if it’s uncomfortable. Transparency helps to foster trust. When people trust you, they’ll feel more comfortable being open and honest with you. This leads to better communication which will further strengthen your workplace relationships.
Trust is only possible when all parties involved feel respected and valued. Respect your colleagues’ ideas, opinions, and feelings by actively listening to them and giving them the attention they deserve.
4. Express gratitude
Find small ways to express gratitude regularly. Even a simple “thank you,” or heartfelt compliment can make a big difference.
Showing appreciation for someone’s efforts or ideas shows that you value them and their work. When you express gratitude, you send the message that you care about them, which will encourage them to reciprocate and build a stronger relationship with you.
5. Take an interest
Take the time to get to know your colleagues. Get to know their personal interests, hobbies, and passions outside of work. Ask them about these things often and take a genuine interest in them. You will develop more meaningful relationships when you learn and listen to them talk about the things that are important to them.
Showing an interest in your colleagues not only helps build relationships but it also encourages collaboration and creativity. People who feel heard and respected are more likely to open up and share their ideas.
Easter is already in the air church plays, family trips to Kwahu, fish money count in Kumasi market stalls. But for some families, the season also sharpens a private pain: a teenager who hides his phone under the mattress, a wife who finds transfers to unknown numbers, a father who smells stale hotel soap on his son’s shirt. Sexual addiction does not announce itself. It steals trust slowly, then all at once.
I see it at CPAC intake rooms: mothers trembling not from anger but exhaustion, men blaming themselves for “raising him badly.” Here is what we know and what actually helps.
Research frames compulsive sexual behaviour less as moral failure and more as an intimacy disorder tied to anxiety, untreated trauma, and a dysregulated reward system (Giordano et al., 2021).
In Ghanaian homes, shame thickens the silence. Carnes (2020) found that structured family disclosure guided by a therapist raised treatment entry by 38 per cent. Grubbs et al. (2020) showed spiritual support lowers relapse risk only when paired with accountability, not preaching.
Name the behaviour without drowning the person
At our Adenta Oyarifa-Teiman office, I often ask a couple to write down one line: “I felt scared when I saw __; I need __.” Not “you are dirty,” but “I saw pornography at 2 a.m. on your laptop; I need us to meet CPAC on Thursday.” I remember Kofi (name changed), a car dealer from Spintex, sitting across me saying, “If I call him addict he will run.” We drafted a text instead: “Yaw, I love you. I saw Mastercard bills. I’ve made us an appointment. I’ll drive you.” He came.
Use Easter’s rhythm, not its sermons
The season’s power is ordinary belonging. Invite your son to peel yam for Good Friday soup; ask your husband to lead the family in a simple sunrise prayer at 6 a.m., phone left in the hall.
A Shai Hills walk, a shared taxi to church-these re-anchor a nervous system.
Invite, do not ambush. Then bind that belonging to a step: install accountability software that blocks explicit sites and sends a report to a trusted person, agree on weekly attendance at a Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting, schedule therapy session with experts from Counselor Prince & Associates Consult – CPAC. Grubbs’ finding holds: faith helps when it carries accountability.
Build containment the Ghanaian way
Few Accra families have study rooms; rural families share one chamber. Make rules fit: “No phones in bedrooms after 10 p.m. -all devices charge in the sitting room.” Keep a single MTN phone for night calls. Agree on cash, not mobile money, for daily spend. For betrayed spouses, CPAC names betrayal trauma without gossip; the relief is immediate.
Parents need their own slice: a 20-minute walk, a radio prayer, a friend who listens. Empty cups spill.
City reality versus village reality
In Accra, you may afford an expert from CPAC and monitoring software. In Bawku, you may lean on CPAC’s online service or a community nurse, a well-trained and trusted pastor or imam, and a strict routine.
Both depend on three moves: containment, treatment, connection. I have watched both work.
Sexual addiction thrives in secrecy. It withers in small, repeated honesty. One week clean, one meeting attended, one budget table opened-these are Easter’s quiet resurrection.
At CPAC we do not promise miracles; we promise a plan. Some sons make tea safely again. Some husbands show receipts. Shame shrinks when families speak early, set boundaries, and bind to help.
Source: Field notes from Counselor Prince Offei’s practice in mental health, marriage counselling, and addiction support at CPAC.
References
Carnes, P. J. (2020). Sexual addiction and compulsivity: Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 27(1), 1-12.
Giordano, A. L., et al. (2021). Family communication in sexual addiction recovery. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 47(2), 312-327.
Grubbs, J. B., et al. (2020). Spirituality, shame, and compulsive sexual behaviour. Archives of Sexual Behaviour, 49(5), 1665-1677.
To be continued …
Source: REV. COUNSELOR PRINCE OFFEI’s insights on sexual addiction, relationships, and mental health in Ghana. He is a leading mental health professional, lecturer, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, renowned author, and marriage counsellor at COUNSELOR PRINCE & ASSOCIATES CONSULT (CPAC COUNSELLOR TRAINING INSTITUTE)
