Bob had been Fred’s client for a long time. Normally, he was low-key and easy-going. Not today. He was angry and it showed. His wife Keiko sat teary-eyed and sniffling next to him. ‘Fred, I want you to make George Stevens’ life a misery, do you hear me?” “I hear you, Bob. But I don’t …
By Terri Lubaroff Donald ambled into the conference room with difficulty. He looked like a nice, working class man in his retirement years, but the gray pall he carried indicated his health wasn’t going to let him do a whole lot of fishing on his beloved Lake Havasu any time soon. Donald slipped in a …
By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. Is the most common complaint I get about high conflict people in the workplace. They are everywhere, and seem to be increasing these days – from the lowest supervisor to the self-destructive owner of the business. They generally seek positions over others in order to help themselves feel better about …
The book Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom was published in 2009 by Dr. Rick and Hanson and Dr. Richard Mendius with the intention of blending the latest findings in neuropsychology with a general framework for healthy living. The piece was designed to be a comprehensible, accessible book aimed at helping …
By Kristofer Michaud Inter-group conflict—Montagues vs. Capulets, Sharks vs. Jets, Crips vs. Bloods—often culminates in episodes of unplanned, catastrophic violence. These cathartic but often gruesome incidents must then be interpreted after the fact by the stereotypically level-headed third parties called upon by the criminal justice system to prosecute, defend, and ultimately judge the perpetrators. These …
By Lalita B. Nordquist, SPHR, MA, MDR Behavioral Psychology is a well-known method used across the world for everything from training dogs to treating phobias. B.F. Skinner is one of the most widely recognized contributors to Behaviorism and brought us the idea of “operant conditioning”—the idea that we can condition ourselves and others through the …
By Terri Lubaroff We’ve all dealt with a “difficult personality.” This is the person we are afraid to run into on the elevator at work, the family member who never fails to offend, or the jerk at the furniture store who refuses to refund your money on a delivery that was never made. The difficult …
By Arezou Kohan I am now an author, holistic mediator, and life-coach, but when I was practicing law, I had more than one case that drove me to the edge. My body is now recovering from the impact of the stress of my legal practice. The law is a profession that is hard on …
By Bill Eddy One day I was meeting with a husband and wife for their second or third divorce mediation session. They were high-powered, both in upper management positions. I thought that their family mediation would be like a business meeting. But no! At the beginning of this session, the husband leans over shaking his …
Preventing and avoiding conflict is a basic human need and reaction. Conflict can be messy, emotionally, and overwhelming, so if it can be prevented, most of us would choose to do so. Unfortunately, conflict is a part of everyday life. It can be difficult to avoid it entirely without creating a life that holds nothing …