Tag: Interpersonal Effectiveness
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Emotional Boundaries: What’s in You is Not in Me
Emotional boundaries are invisible lines that separate our feelings, responsibilities, and problems from those of others. They help us distinguish between what is ours to deal with and what belongs to someone else. When we have strong emotional boundaries, we can empathize with others without taking on their emotional burdens.
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The Codependent Sea: A Short Story
Codependency is more than enabling someone’s addiction — it’s a complex psychological trap that can draw even well-adjusted people into harmful relationships. In this post, Dr. Christine Dickson shares insights from decades of clinical experience and introduces her story of the “codependent sea” to help readers recognize, understand, and begin to break free from these…
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Tips for Making Small Talk
Small talk doesn’t have to feel awkward—it can be a powerful way to connect. In this guide, Dr. Christine E. Dickson shares practical tips for starting conversations, keeping them flowing, and building genuine connections with ease.
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How to Talk to a Narcissistic Supervisor
Communicating with a narcissistic supervisor can feel overwhelming, but it’s possible to stay professional and effective with the right strategies. In this article, Dr. Christine E. Dickson shares practical tools—such as focusing on facts, using positive language, avoiding ego clashes, and maintaining professionalism—to help employees manage difficult interactions and reduce stress in the workplace.
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3 Steps to an Effective Apology
If you grew up in a dysfunctional family home, you most likely never learned to apologize effectively. As an adult, you probably apologize by quickly stating that you are “sorry” and then making excuses for your behavior or shifting blame to others. However, stating you are sorry does not convince people you are actually sorry.…
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6 Steps to Staying Sane in the Conflict Zone
Conflict is an inevitable part of life, but learning how to manage it can protect our wellbeing. As Dr. Christine E. Dickson explains, staying calm in the “conflict zone” is a skill we can develop. By avoiding triggers, not taking things personally, giving ourselves time-outs, practicing mindful breathing, talking through feelings, and keeping a sense…
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Communication Strategies for Conflict Avoidant People
Sometimes very successful, intelligent people have difficulty navigating conflict at home and at work and behave in conflict avoidant ways. As children they learned that staying quiet and not expressing what they needed was more effective than arguing or speaking out. Staying quiet and avoiding conflict developed into the personality trait known as agreeableness, which…
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Guidelines for Relationship Effectiveness
It’s unrealistic to think that we can avoid conflict in our relationships. Relationship conflict is a natural and normal aspect of any connection. So much so that if a client tells me they never argue with their loved ones, I immediately think something is wrong. However, relationship effectiveness is critical for all successful long-term relationships.…
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The Power of Validation
Validating ourselves and others is critical to creating and sustaining both a healthy self concept and healthy relationships. Many people struggle with self-validation and/or validating the people in their lives. The reason for this is fairly straight forward. As children their parents or caregivers did not effectively validate them, and as a result they did…
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Navigating Conflict with Unreasonable People
Everyone knows that it’s impossible to avoid conflict in our personal and professional life. At times, the people in our lives can be completely unreasonable when it comes to conflict. If you are facing conflict with an unreasonable person, it is critical to find effective conflict management strategies. As a psychologist, I spend countless hours…