"My Christian Dad Thinks Traditional Healing is Evil": Expert Advises Man Dating a Sangoma

• A Mzansi man hailing from a Christian background and family opened up about dating a sangoma
• His girlfriend, who is a secret to his family, had a vision of them having a beautiful future, but their families could tear them apart
• He shared his concerns and sought guidance about how to come clean about his relationship
• Life coach Penny Holburn spoke to Briefly News about how the man and his partner could navigate their issue

Anonymous wrote: "My girlfriend, who is a sangoma, recently had a powerful vision about our future together. It spoke of a great love story, but also a dark storm that could tear us apart unless we can get our families to accept our relationship. My father, a devout Christian, sees traditional healing practices as evil.

"How can we possibly navigate coming out to them without causing a massive family rift, especially considering this unsettling prophecy? Should we reveal the vision, or will it just fuel their disapproval? We're desperate for guidance on how to navigate this situation while keeping our love alive."

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Penny Holburn is a life, career and business coach. She has numerous local and international awards with 14 years of experience. She has worked with thousands of people, helping them reinvent their lives, get out of a rut, fix their relationships and manage stress, anxiety and depression.

Speaking to Brielfy News, Penny advised Anonymous to speak to his girlfriend and discuss the consequences of telling their parents and not telling them.

According to Penny, the couple needs to consider the possible outcomes first. Once they have both talked through how the families may react and what the consequences will be, they can make the decision.

"You can decide to tell them about your relationship or not. And you can decide whether to tell them about the vision or not. To keep your relationship alive, though, you need to talk to one another about each of your concerns. If you can keep the communication between you going, and it is open and honest, then you can keep your relationship going," Penny shared.

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Penny added that if they do decide to tell their families, they should communicate honestly about their relationship.

If they want to get their families to accept the relationship, and they may not at first, the couple must keep the communication channels open and work on their relationship with their families.

"It may take some time, and it may take a lot of time, patience and understanding, but if you want them to accept you both, then keep listening to them, answering their concerns, and letting them know why you want to be together," Penny advises.

Disclaimer: Advice given in this article is general and is not the views of Briefly News. It is not intended to influence a reader's decisions. Readers are advised to seek professional help before making any decisions.

Do you have a story to tell? Want an expert's advice? Please email us at contact@briefly.co.za with 'Ask an expert' in the subject line.

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In another story, Briefly News reported on a gogo who opened up about financially struggling to raise her son's children.

The retired 65-year-old grandmother disclosed that her adult son does not live with his two children nor pay child maintenance despite having a good job and earning a good salary.

She shared her challenges and a family expert responded with sound advice to help her out of her situation.

Source: Briefly News