Does it seem like you and your partner get into the same fight over and over again? Or that arguments start with what seems like a minor issue, like a pile of dirty laundry, but somehow explode into a full-on verbal battle? So much so that you forget where it began in the first place? Couples frequently get stuck in harmful communication patterns, ones that seem impossible to break, especially if you have been together for years. These destructive dialogues contribute to disconnection in a relationship, and can feel particularly distressing when the relationship is already under a great deal of stress—like during a global pandemic. In this experiential workshop, licensed clinical psychologist and couples therapist Traci Maynigo, Psy.D., will draw from her own expertise, as well as decades of relationship research from experts like John Gottman and Sue Johnson, to help you and your partner understand what lies beneath your destructive dialogues, and how to replace them with healthy ones. She’ll cover:
- The 4 most common communication mistakes couples make
- How these harmful strategies reinforce each other, creating negative pattern
- The “sore spots” that drive these patterns and where they come from
- How to use repair conversations to break destructive dialogues and increase trust