The Difficult Conversation Starter

If you are sensitive, you may be shying away from important conversations.

In so doing, things left unsaid, unresolved, may fester.

Those difficult conversations are important to have.

You can start by acknowledging you have something difficult or awkward to talk about, but still need to do so.

That is known as meta-communicating. You communicate about the need to communicate.

It can help smooth the way towards that conversation so it takes place.

After raising the real issue, you can also offer time to think about what was raised. Sometimes we get flustered, upset or frozen and can’t generate a response in the moment.

It’s ok to give time and space to think about what was raised. It can also help though to set some expectations around when to come back to discuss further.

“No issue taking a few days to think about this. Let’s sit down in two days to see where you are with your thoughts on this and we can take it from there.”

So, sensitive or not, we can address issues versus carrying them to fester and even poison a relationship.

Investing in the must have conversations is important to a good relationship.

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I am Gary Direnfeld and I am a social worker. Check out all my services and then call me if you need help with a personal issue, mental health concern, child behavior or relationship, divorce or separation issue or even help growing your practice. I am available in person and by video conferencing.

Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW

gary@yoursocialworker.com
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Gary Direnfeld is a social worker. Courts in Ontario, Canada, consider him an expert in social work, marital and family therapy, child development, parent-child relations and custody and access matters. Gary is the host of the TV reality show, Newlywed, Nearly Dead, former parenting columnist for the Hamilton Spectator and author of Marriage Rescue: Overcoming the ten deadly sins in failing relationships. Gary maintains a private practice in Georgina Ontario, providing a range of services for people in distress. He speaks at conferences and workshops throughout North America. He consults to mental health professionals as well as to mediators and collaborative law professionals about good practice as well as building their practice.