Communication for a Better Life

Saturday, April 25 · 11am – 1pm ET

Enjoy more enduring relationships and more personal fulfillment, and find ways to also make all aspects of daily life more authentic, enjoyable, and productive for you and those around you.

In this webinar, David B. Alexander, licensed psychotherapist, will present and discuss the principles of Nonviolent Communication and their fulfilling application in daily life.

During and after the presentation, there will be time for questions and answers. Discussion will also be invited as a way to engage those attending in a more direct way. See selected testimonials and terms of service below.

This will be an enriching, safe opportunity for learning how to deepen relationships of all kinds through better communication, including through authenticity towards oneself, achieving more often the results we desire. In the workplace, go beyond praise of others to share genuine appreciation, while also giving a voice to your own vision, purpose, and goals.

Saturday, May 9 · 11am – 1pm ET

Expressing ourselves from a deep place is rewarding in so many ways. Yet it can be hard to express affection, for reasons such as fear of rejection or fear of becoming committed beyond the comfort zone. And it can be hard to express frustration or anger, for reasons such as fear of alienating the other or fear of doing harm.

Our inner urges and wishes often may not match what we are able to express. But with good communication skills, we can start to see a path that avoids the fears and lack of clarity mentioned above.

Join this interactive monthly workshop dedicated to improving on important relationships and your own awareness and well-being.

There is no single formula for good communication. However, when we are genuine with other people, it encourages authenticity, and people start to truly understand and appreciate each other's feelings and needs. And by expressing from a deeper level, we start to understand ourselves better, as well. All of that leads to more fulfilling relationships, an ability to work out solutions when there is disagreement and conflict, and a better, realistic sense of self-esteem.

Saturday, June 13 · 11am – 1pm ET

Daily life often consists of small and fairly simple interactions that keep things running smoothly or at least meet the needs of the moment.

In addition to those simple interactions, there are the conversations that involve important and perhaps challenging content: hurt, anger, and even feelings of love and emotional intimacy, which can all be difficult to bring up, or to fully take in when offered by another person.

And yet, these same, somewhat raw conversations provide the opportunity for deeper mutual connection, as well as supporting one's own well-being and vitality.

Topics for discussion will include:

• The benefits of expression vs. silence: bring more life to your life

• Handling anger well

• Handling affection and empathy well

• Reframing the conversation: realizing that the negative is fundamentally based on a positive

• "Good" words / "bad" words: which words and phrases create more conflict, and which heal

We invite all participants to bring in their own real-life questions and challenges around the above topics, or other topics related to "difficult conversations."

Saturday, July 18 · 11am – 1pm ET

There will be about 1/2 hour of presentation, after which we will engage in conversation regarding any situations the participants wish to discuss. If participants do not have such questions to discuss, I as the facilitator will present various scenarios to examine together.

As someone who has raised two children who are now in their 30s, I understand the stresses and the joys of the experience, and the topic will be carefully infused with a good dose of ironic humor, as needed. Whether children are very young, or are themselves adults, the parent / child relationship is a special one of strong connection.

Close relationships such as parent / child usually bring out our deeply held values, worries, and hopes. Learning how to navigate the multiple forces affecting parent / child relationships is a valuable life skill.

Saturday, August 8 · 11am – 1pm ET

What if someone in your life takes a chance and is vulnerable--sharing or doing something with which they are not usually comfortable--with you? How do you respond to fully support the moment and their choice?

These important moments can slip by us unawares, but practicing attunement can help respond more fully in every moment.

"Appreciation" is having a feeling of gratitude inside you, toward another person or yourself. "Celebration" is expression of that appreciation to the other person or to yourself. Both aspects are important!

Saturday, September 19 · 11am – 1pm ET

How can you give honest feedback and still keep or improve a good relationship? What if your partner asks you "Do I look good in these pants?" and you think "No"? If a friend has started a business and is about to invest a lot of time and money into it, but you feel it is a bad idea: what do you say, if anything? What if someone you care about is entering into a romantic relationship that to you seems unhealthy: what do you do or say?

These are typical of what can be difficult but important choices in how we communicate, making a relationship deeper or creating stress in a relationship, and potentially helping others and ourselves along a good path in life, even through small interactions.

On one hand, as William Blake said "A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent." On the other hand, authenticity in communication is crucial for strengthening the profound connections that are part of a well-lived life. We will explore how to be authentic and empathetic at the same time.

Saturday, October 10 · 11am – 1pm ET

All of us are meant, eventually, to be leaders, and in some aspects of our lives we are leaders from the moment of birth. When an infant cries, she or he is trying at a visceral level to lead others to respond in a way that helps the infant and makes "the world" (as the infant experiences it) better.

How do we respond as adults to different strategies that others use to lead? And how do WE lead when we are in a position of leadership? How do we lead even when others do not call us a "leader" officially?

Issues we will explore include "power with" vs. "power over", ideas of protection vs. punishment, and the strength of vulnerability along with empowerment.

Saturday, November 14 · 11am – 1pm ET

What if you could find ways to interrupt old patterns of friction or even conflict, and instead find a way to understand and be understood, creating peace and connection instead?

I remember hearing one member of a couple say to the other "I feel that you are an idiot!" after being requested to use "I" statements and express feelings. Of course, that is a fairly extreme example of following the letter of the instructions but not the spirit.

However, when we are genuine with other people while staying with an empathetic attitude, it encourages authenticity in dialogue, and people start to truly understand and appreciate each other's feelings and needs.

Why this re-thinking of the spoken message is helpful is part of our topic of effective communication, dispute resolution, and improving and saving of relationships. The goal in good communication is that all parties in the process can feel seen and heard, and come out with a stronger, positive connection to others.

Saturday, December 12 · 11am – 1pm ET

Does it seem confusing and strange how American society, and to some degree many societies around the world, have moved towards authoritarianism and conspiracy theories? Yet, it does not need to be that way.

The most common response on seeing ideas with which we strongly disagree is to call those with whom we disagree "stupid." Alternative insults are: uneducated; snobbish; weak; out of touch; living in mom's basement; on welfare; and so on. What a list of harsh judgements!

The ways we experience ourselves and the world starts with our family, and continues to evolve throughout adulthood, influenced by those around us and by society's values as a whole. We each attempt to find meaning and fulfillment in our lives while also having impact on the health of our society.