Counselling psychologist and ADR practitioner Counselor Perfect has urged families to choose forgiveness and offer loved ones a second chance this Valentine’s Day, especially in cases where couples seek reconciliation after separation.

Speaking on Let’s Talk on Joy Prime on Tuesday, she addressed a case involving a divorced couple hoping to remarry despite resistance from their families. Her remarks, however, reached far beyond the specific situation.

Turning directly to the estranged couple’s family at the centre of the discussion, she made a passionate appeal for grace and reconciliation. “So this Valentine’s Day is a period to give people a second chance if they so deserve it. If everything shows that this person deserves a second chance, they have really changed, give them that second chance,” she urged, adding that the principle applies to parenting and strained family relationships as well.

Counselor Perfect grounded her appeal in moral conviction, cautioning families against permanently condemning those who have genuinely reformed. “If they have realized their mistakes, they are working on themselves. If you realize that when you give them a chance and with boundaries they are not going to repeat the same thing, why not? Because Jesus gave us a second chance when we sinned,” she said, encouraging families to use the season of love to rebuild broken bonds.

She also stressed that many family disputes over marriage could be avoided if relatives were involved earlier in relationships. “Before you even propose to anybody, you need to let your family get to know before you go ahead to propose. You don’t propose, then you go and tell your family that, this is the woman I want to marry and I’ve seen their parents, and no, no, no, you don’t do that,” she cautioned.

According to her, introducing a partner to family members, religious leaders and trusted mentors at an early stage allows concerns to be raised before emotions deepen. Such early engagement, she explained, helps to prevent the painful stalemates that often arise when families are informed only after a commitment has been made.

The counsellor, however, advised the couple to proceed carefully. She recommended that they seek the support of respected figures their parents hold in high esteem, including elders or religious leaders, to mediate and advocate on their behalf.

Should those efforts fail, Counselor Perfect counselled the couple to respect their families’ position rather than force the marriage. Moving ahead without parental blessing, she warned, could create lasting resentment and strain relations between both families.

Counselling psychologist and ADR practitioner Counselor Perfect has urged families to choose forgiveness and offer loved ones a second chance this Valentine’s Day, especially in cases where couples seek reconciliation after separation.

Speaking on Let’s Talk on Joy Prime on Tuesday, she addressed a case involving a divorced couple hoping to remarry despite resistance from their families. Her remarks, however, reached far beyond the specific situation.

Turning directly to the estranged couple’s family at the centre of the discussion, she made a passionate appeal for grace and reconciliation. “So this Valentine’s Day is a period to give people a second chance if they so deserve it. If everything shows that this person deserves a second chance, they have really changed, give them that second chance,” she urged, adding that the principle applies to parenting and strained family relationships as well.

Counselor Perfect grounded her appeal in moral conviction, cautioning families against permanently condemning those who have genuinely reformed. “If they have realized their mistakes, they are working on themselves. If you realize that when you give them a chance and with boundaries they are not going to repeat the same thing, why not? Because Jesus gave us a second chance when we sinned,” she said, encouraging families to use the season of love to rebuild broken bonds.

She also stressed that many family disputes over marriage could be avoided if relatives were involved earlier in relationships. “Before you even propose to anybody, you need to let your family get to know before you go ahead to propose. You don’t propose, then you go and tell your family that, this is the woman I want to marry and I’ve seen their parents, and no, no, no, you don’t do that,” she cautioned.

According to her, introducing a partner to family members, religious leaders and trusted mentors at an early stage allows concerns to be raised before emotions deepen. Such early engagement, she explained, helps to prevent the painful stalemates that often arise when families are informed only after a commitment has been made.

The counsellor, however, advised the couple to proceed carefully. She recommended that they seek the support of respected figures their parents hold in high esteem, including elders or religious leaders, to mediate and advocate on their behalf.

Should those efforts fail, Counselor Perfect counselled the couple to respect their families’ position rather than force the marriage. Moving ahead without parental blessing, she warned, could create lasting resentment and strain relations between both families.