Putting It All Together: Celebrating Success and Anticipating New Journeys

Benefits to using skilled conversation strategies when communicating with caregiving stakeholders:  · Reduce stress. · Make difficult decisions. · Communicate more effectively during challenging situations. · Prevent burnout and resentments   Overview of what we learned: ·         When one or more people are very invested, emotions are running high, and the… Continue reading Putting It All Together: Celebrating Success and Anticipating New Journeys

Telling our Story: What We Need & How We Feel About It

The stories we tell ourselves and others are powerful and can either hijack a conversation and bring it depth and meaning Stories are based on emotions rather than logic All of the upheaval of this year have sent families to unprecedented levels of what is called emotional contagion. What’s that? It’s when we are interacting… Continue reading Telling our Story: What We Need & How We Feel About It

Building Our Skills: Finding Mutual Purpose When Conversation is Stuck in Differing Needs and Goals

  Self monitor to avoid silence and violence: Be aware of how you respond under stress: ·         Silence-withdrawing from conversation ·         Silence- deliberately withholding crucial information ·         Silence- avoiding stressful situations entirely ·         Silence-deflecting topic with humor or sarcasm… Continue reading Building Our Skills: Finding Mutual Purpose When Conversation is Stuck in Differing Needs and Goals

Coping with Covid: How to make the most of your time at home with high needs children

This post originally appeared on helponechild.org Undoubtedly, kids everywhere are sad right now. For most kids, this doesn’t look like tears but more likely presents as anger, frustration, tiredness, numbness, displaced frustration and boredom. Does any of this sound familiar? It may sound like something you are hearing from your high-needs child, another child in… Continue reading Coping with Covid: How to make the most of your time at home with high needs children

How to Listen When the Topic is Sensitive

Encourage others to share by being a good listener:o   Be sincere by using verbal and nonverbal communication that shows that you are asking questions that you want to hear the answer too   Ask thoughtful questionso   Show patience and persistence by staying curious when it would be easier to either retreat or become aggressiveo   Ask follow up questions to keep… Continue reading How to Listen When the Topic is Sensitive

How to Talk about Sensitive Topics in order to be Heard

Before you speak, avoid making assumptions that will create feelings of anxiety, stress, and may cause us to attack or avoido   Assumption that bringing up a controversial topic will turn other participants into adversarieso   False: The only way to keep peace is to silently accept that other person’s opiniono   False: Assumption that being honest does not care for the emotions… Continue reading How to Talk about Sensitive Topics in order to be Heard

Talking and Listening: A Tried and True Recipe for Successful Conversations in Challenging Times

It’s their story so hear them out: Be curious Be loving Be patient Don’t interrupt Feel their feels Avoid the urge to fix it It’s your story to be heard so tell it skillfully Give the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth This is how I view what happened… This is what… Continue reading Talking and Listening: A Tried and True Recipe for Successful Conversations in Challenging Times

Turning Dreaded Dialogue Into Constructive Conversation

What in the world is Going On?  Elements of an Emotionally Charged Dialogue:·        People think differently·        What is being talked matters a lot to at least one person·        At least one person is feeling very emotional·        The outcome of the conversation really matters Possibilities:·        Say nothing and suffer in silence·        Speak up and make poor decisions·        Have a skillful conversation Skillful conversation·        Each… Continue reading Turning Dreaded Dialogue Into Constructive Conversation