While falling in love, most people do not think about conflict. As couples grow closer, it is inevitable they will discover hidden issues that can lead to disagreements. A threat to the stability of a relationship can be scary and require deliberate work to resolve the issues that present themselves. So, what’s love got to do with it? Conflict management can be an expression of love.
Conflict is a normal part of family life. As a mediator, you have the skills to facilitate peaceful resolutions to conflicts, but it can be challenging to apply them so close to home. In this article, we'll discuss how mediators can be the peacemakers in their own family conflicts by providing strategies for identifying unique considerations, assessing the situation before engaging, addressing power dynamics between family members and recognizing the limitations.
Family gatherings can bring feelings of warmth, excitement and joy. Like most of us these days, you may also be bracing yourself for dreaded toxic political conversations. A couple of my peers and I wondered what happened to simpler times, when people had healthy debates on front porches. From those musings, we developed a project called Porch Talks, to guide conversations from toxic to healthy. I have lifted some of those ideas to share six simple ways to prevent family gatherings from being derailed by politics.
