Relationships must have communicated boundaries - Therapist

Marriage and family therapist Odeneho Dinpa has said boundaries are necessary for partners to have a healthy relationship.

He believes that healthy boundaries in a relationship do not come naturally hence the need to be clearly defined.

Speaking to GhanaWeb, Odeneho Dinpa stated that boundaries are critical in creating good relationships.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about what boundaries are in relationships. We may feel that boundaries are unnecessary because our partner is supposed to already know and act on our needs and wants, else they will ruin the relationship or interfere with the spice. In reality, all healthy relationships have boundaries,” the UK-based Ghanaian therapist said.

Dinpa also indicated that healthy boundaries allow partners to feel comfortable and develop positive self-esteem.

“In order to establish boundaries, you need to be clear with your partner who you are, what you want, your beliefs and values, and your limits.

A lot of times, we tend to focus on adjusting to others, taking time away from focusing on ourselves. Setting boundaries for yourself that reflect who you are and who you ultimately want to be will only make you better,” Dinpa told GhanaWeb.

He further charged partners to respect set boundaries regardless of how “big or small” they may be.

“ No matter how "big" or "small" the boundary or boundary violation, no one likes to have their boundary ignored or disrespected. Everyone has the right to be treated with respect and fairness. If your partner can’t respect your boundaries, then it may be time to re-think the relationship”.