The need to spice up our relationships is something that most of us will experience if we have been in any form of a relationship for any substantial amount of time. To help in this effort of spicing things up, Sister Spokesman is hosting an event on July 12, 2014 at Arnellia’s on University Avenue in St. Paul.
The event, titled “Spicing Up Your Relationship,” will offer participants a host of ideas and concepts to improve the quality and potential of their relationships. Panelists include Rosella Collins-Puoch, LICSW, owner of Hope Village; Sam Simmons of Sam Simmons Consulting and SAFE Families; and Elle Young, author of “Raising Your Husband.”
The intent is for event-goers to talk about ways to make their relationships grow and thrive. Maintaining a healthy relationship is work, and the panelists will offer expert wisdom and personal insights on ways to communicate that make relationships fun and enjoyable, giving a diverse and interesting perspective.
Rosella Collins-Puoch thinks the event is important for the community to attend because people are not alone in their need to improve the quality of their relationships, and there are resources out there for people to get help. She adds “Relationships are relationships. People tend to isolate when we are talking about relationships. But the same skills that are used to improve romantic relationships can be used to improve other types of relationships as well, including relationships with friends, families and coworkers”
She is hoping that people leave with an understanding that they are not alone in their struggles to improve their relationships. She hopes that the people who are in attendance and are having difficulties in their relationships realize that they can get help to make their relationship better.
Also, if people come who are already in a good place, they can enhance their relationships by attending. According to Collins-Puoch, more than anything she “wants people to walk away with an understanding of the kinds of skills [they] need in order to have a successful relationship on any level.”
Panelist Sam Simmons is hoping to bring “a healthy Black male perspective about relationships and what they look like.” He says that “a lot of us have relationships but do not really understand what a healthy relationship is, because we have not always been exposed to what people would call healthy relationships.” He adds, “We all want to be loved and we all — particularly women — tend to be real forgiving at the cost of themselves.”
The biggest thing he would like for women attendees is a healthy discussion about how sacrificing themselves in a relationship hinders them emotionally and in their future relationships. As with Collins-Pouch, he says the skills used in having a healthy romantic relationship can be used in all other types of relationships.
and the Spokesman-Recorder hope that all attendees get enough knowledge and information to put the fire and spice back in their relationships in order to build healthy families, healthy workplaces and healthy communities. Author Elle Young wanted to share her comments with MSR readers, but her extremely busy schedule would not allow time. She will be pleased to answer questions at the event.
Brandi D. Phillips welcomes reader responses to bphillips@spokesman-recorder.com.
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INTERESTING TOPIC. SOMETHING WE WOMEN PROBABLY SHOULD KNOW AND THINK ABOUT.