Have a ‘no gift’ Valentine’s Day
BRYANSTON – Reconnect with your partner through loving gestures this Valentine's.
Valentine’s Day is celebrated by couples who use the day to show their love for each other. This day of love can be marred by the stress of finding the perfect gift. Bona Dea Centre in Bryanston offers a solution.
The centre follows the practices of Imago Therapy which is all about the ‘relational space’ in which a couple co-exist. A major focus of this therapy is therefore to ‘clean’ this space.
Bona Dea Centre counselling psychologist, Trix O’Callaghan, advises couples to perform more meaningful tasks to reconnect this Valentine’s Day instead of giving less meaningful gifts. She said, “I like to use the analogy of a garden to symbolise the relational space. The space can get overgrown, full of unwanted weeds and poor soil quality. As a symbol to recommit as a couple, I think a beautiful tree or shrub can be a wonderful symbolic gesture to commit to creating a beautiful ‘relationship garden’. The couple can plant this tree together.”
O’Callaghan’s other gift and gesture ideas:
- Make them feel loved and cared for or surprise them with something they would love to receive. For example, if your partner has been complaining that you never want to participate in his/her adventures, present a voucher that you will accompany him/her to their next cycle challenge or sports match. If they crave affection, give them a massage.
- A gift voucher that will enable the couple to spend quality time together. Book a couples’ spa treatment, a weekend away or anything that will allow you to press pause. This does not have to be a costly exercise as you can make a hand-written voucher to create alone time at home with candles and music on a specific day.
- Write a letter to your partner, reminding them of what made you fall in love with them and tell them all the reasons you love and appreciate them.
“Valentine’s Day does not have to be about gifts. It can be about more meaningful gestures to remind yourself and your loved one why you are together in the first place,” O’Callaghan added.
Details: Bona Dea Centre, info@bonadeacentre.co.za or 011 514 0738.
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