How to Soften a Conversation About a Sensitive Topic The Gottman Institute 1. Make Statements That Start With “I” Instead of You To avoid blame, complaining is okay but criticizing is not. Criticizing is a statement — that often begins with “you” and lists a...
How to Approach Your Partner for a ConversationAbout a Sensitive Topic The Gottman Institute Why This Matters A softened start-up is the way you begin a difficult conversation so your partner can actually hear you. It reduces defensiveness and keeps the...
Three Communication Skills for Intimate Conversation The Gottman Institute Share in Honesty • Engage in Inquiry • Support with Empathy How to learn and practice the three communication skills: This exercise will help you make your conversations deeper and more...
Tools for an Effective Repair Conversation The Gottman Institute How to repair after a fight or regrettable incident Aftermath of a Fight These tools are for “processing” past fights, regrettable incidents or past emotional injuries. “Processing” means that...
How to Communicate Better with Your Partner The Gottman Institute Goal Discuss a topic in a manner where you both feel understood by each other. Principle Before you can engage in persuasion, you each have to summarize your partner’s position to your partner’s...
AVOID the Four Horsemen FOR BETTER RELATIONSHIPS The Gottman Institute Learn How to Prevent:Criticism • Defensiveness • Contempt • Stonewalling The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse How well a couple communicates not only predicts how a particular discussion...
