The answer is your first option: <u>continually work on improving their communication skills.</u>
Explanation:
Interpersonal relationships refer to a strong bond between two or more people. The fact that you get to spend much time with that person, doesn't mean that's benefiting the other, why? Well, lack of communication --being together but with their cellphones, fighting, small talks, etc... Why would you practice positive self-talk, when you actually wish to say something else even when it's the opposite? This is how working on communication skills help, as the idea is to communicate what you believe in order to benefit the other, and sometimes this isn't possible if you're only saying what the other wishes to hear, but not actually what you think. And finally seek counseling is always the option, however, I think this should be done once we have discarded the fact that communication skills cannot be improved in any way.
Gandhi was very strong and passionate about his beliefs towards non-violence, human rights, and personal and political freedom which he conveyed with his tone extremely persuasively and effectively.