Conflict is one of those difficult issues that we all have to face in life, whether in personal relationships, at work, or within ourselves. Conflict is very uncomfortable for many people. These people oftentimes ignore the conflict until the issue becomes out of hand and then often will deal with the issue in an unhealthy way (such as aggressiveness).

Even though conflict is oftentimes uncomfortable, it can be a great avenue for growth within oneself and with our relationships with others. In any case, it is important to also understand what the conflict brings up in you (i.e. If you have experienced similar conflict with others in the past and this is a pattern repeating itself) as well as past unsuccessful attempts in the past at conflict resolution or an underlying belief that your needs are not important.

Effective communication techniques will assist in succeeding at conflict resolution.

• Attempting to listen to, understand, and summarize the other’s point of view will help you to better come to a resolution.
• Negotiation and looking for a win-win solution to the problem shows mutual respect and will aid in resolving a conflict.
• Mediation with a trained mediator would be an avenue to consider with very difficult conflict situations.
• Assertiveness training can be of great assistance in terms of learning practical skills of communication to address conflict with others.

Psychotherapy can help to address the underlying issues and increase your inner confidence so that you are better prepared to handle conflict when it arises.

If you have difficulty addressing conflict in your life, call on us today so that we may help you take the next step to feeling good about yourself and your relationships.