Navigating Marital Conflict

Plus, learn conflict transformation skills from Chad in Park City on August 22nd

Conflict in our most intimate relationships should be the easiest type of conflict to navigate. Relationships built on trust, mutual respect and long-term commitment should create a solid foundation for constructive conflict.

Alas, I often find that conflict is hardest with the people we love the most. Fear of losing the thing that we value most pushes us to avoid, accommodate or dominate as ways of preserving relationships.

Too often, those fear based approaches leads to unresolved issues, resentment and even contempt.

Couples wish for or hope for a “conflict free” relationship when the truth is, what they need is to learn how to do conflict better. Marriage research John Gottman has found a positive correlation between couples who say they don’t argue and divorce and it’s in the direction you think it would be. It turns out that conflict-less marriages are just hiding fissures that will eventually crack into something much bigger and more difficult to transform.

Learning how to do conflict better in marriage is not only essential for a healthy marriage, it also lays the groundwork for us to get better at navigating conflict at work, in our communities and in even larger socio-political spheres.

I recently joined a podcast with Dr. Dave Schramm, Family Life Specialist Professor at Utah State University, and Dr. Liz Hale, Licensed Clinical Psychologist on their Stronger Marriage Connection podcast where we discussed in depth some of these challenges, ways for couples to do conflict better and how to heal and reconcile when things go terribly wrong. If you have a romantic partner, I think it’s worth an hour of your time.

And if you’d like to learn more of these skills, I’m offering a four hour conflict transformation workshop in Park City on August 22nd. All of the information is found after the links to the podcast below! (and use the code TURNFIRST for 20% off).

You can watch it on YouTube and listen to it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts below:

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Conflict Workshop in Park City

Interested in learning how to transform a conflict in your own life or marriage?

Mountain Mediation in Park City is hosting a four hour workshop on Friday, August 22nd from 8:30 to 12:30. This transformative conflict workshop takes you through an interactive process that I’ve developed to help individuals, families, and groups work together through conflict.

Click this link to sign up here! and use the code TURNFIRST in the checkout for 20% off.

You’ll learn how to:

• Identify different conflict styles in order to better navigate interpersonal conflict,

• Overcome fear about engaging in conflict,

• And to turn difficult interactions into opportunities for collaboration!

During the workshop, we’ll play some games, wrestle with deep questions, and hopefully find a path to transform your conflict into something constructive.

Workshop Details

8-8:30 Check-in Opens & Breakfast

8:30-9:45 P1. Mindset Change

9:45-10 Break

10-11:15 P2. Conflict Transformation Skills

11:15-11:30 Break

11:30-12:30 P3. Personal Application

This event has been approved for 3.5 hours of CLE credit.

Thank you to our sponsors, Sandra More and Park City Municipal, for their support of this workshop.