Home About Dr Gayle Counseling Services Speaking Services Online Seminars Articles Press Room Books Contact
BkSMl

Making Healthy Families:

an on-line seminar in
Communication & Problem Solving

Excerpt from Making Healthy Families


By Gayle Peterson, Ph.D.

Copyright 1996-2003.  Gayle Peterson All rights reserved.

Say What You Mean,
and Mean What You Say!


"Effective communication between family members is not just a 'good idea', but a basic human need. The satisfaction we can enjoy from our family relationships , the success or failure of our marriages and even our physical health depend upon it."

Making Healthy Families Introduction

The Empathy and Problem-Solving Connection

The capacity for empathy and the ability to solve problems are two critical elements for sustaining healthy family relationships. And they are marital bedfellows! Understanding creates the bridge to problem solving. And problem solving reinforces intimacy through a sense of satisfying teamwork.

How we communicate our needs and our ability to listen to viewpoints that oppose our own, can make the difference between feelings of despair or satisfaction in marriage. But, it is often the case that when we are emotionally upset our otherwise "effective" communication goes awry. That is why we must consider our communication as it occurs when we are in conflict with our loved ones to ensure that we get to the heart of developing skills which truly sustain healthy relationships.

Prolonged unresolved conflict erodes affection in a marriage and is a primary precursor of divorce. Consider this seminar a preventative divorce-buster! And as insurance against any potential for future estrangement from the children you love, as you travel through the predictable tumultuousness of adolescence and unexpected twists and turns of the family journey.

Outline

Start Here for first article:

Developing your "Communication Membrane"

  • Implications for physical health and emotional well-being
  • Listening: the empathic connection

Communication and Problem Solving

  • Seven steps for conflict resolution and its importance to your marriage
  • Identifying the amount of conflict resolution that takes place in your marriage
  • Identifying the quality of your conflict resolution
  • Exercises in listening and empathy

Six Ingredients for Healthy Communication

Communication under Pressure: Conflict and Compromise

  • How to mean what you say without negating or distracting from your message
  • Breaking old patterns and developing new strategies for expressing yourself during conflict
  • Discussion and identifying your "discussion busters"
  • Strategies for handling stress and conflict without damaging relationships

 

The askdrgayle.com service area is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical or mental health attention, diagnosis or treatment. If you are concerned about your health or that of a child's, please consult your family's health care provider immediately.

Disclaimer: The accuracy or completeness of any information contained on this site is not guaranteed. As such, the columnist is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. The author of such articles shall not be liable or responsible to any person or entity for any loss or damage caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly by the information or ideas contained, suggested, or referenced on this site.


Return to Dr. Gayle Peterson's Home Page


Copyright 1996-2003.  Gayle Peterson All rights reserved.

Send Comments and Inquiries to Dr. Gayle Peterson at gp@askdrgayle.com