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Based in Beaverton, Oregon, serving clients across Oregon and Washington, in person and online.
PSYCHOEDUCATION
Communication
Communicating with other people can require a surprising number of skills. We communicate what we mean, try to understand what someone else means, ask for things, say no, navigate disagreements, recognize boundaries, manage our own reactions, respond to other people's reactions, and somehow try to stay connected through all of it.
Interpersonal skills aren't one-size-fits-all
We learn how to interact with other people in different ways. There are a variety of factors that influence how we communicate and what we expect from other people. There also isn't one “correct” way to communicate.
For example, being direct can be helpful in one situation and misunderstood in another. Someone may need time to process before responding while someone else wants to resolve a disagreement immediately. One person may rely heavily on tone, facial expressions, or implied meaning while another communicates much more literally.
What can this look like?
You might want help with:
Communicating what you mean more clearly
Asking for what you need
Setting and maintaining boundaries
Saying no without feeling like you need to justify it
Navigating disagreement or conflict
Understanding what someone else is trying to communicate
Giving or receiving feedback
Advocating for yourself
Managing strong emotions during difficult conversations
Addressing compromises
Starting conversations, friendships, or other relationships
Repairing a relationship after conflict
Building or maintaining friendships and other relationships
These difficulties can show up anywhere people do: friendships, families, romantic relationships, school, work, or community.
How can
therapy help?
Therapy can provide a place to understand what happens for you when you're interacting with other people and to develop skills that make those interactions work better.
Practicing communication or assertiveness
Learning ways to approach conflict
Identifying and expressing your needs
Setting and maintaining boundaries
Understanding different communication styles
Figuring out what tends to happen when an interaction becomes difficult
THIS MAY INVOLVE:
It can also mean looking at the assumptions you bring into interactions: What am I responsible for here? What do I expect the other person to know without being told? What am I assuming they mean? What happens when someone is disappointed with me? These assumptions can be explored with your therapist, including whether there may be other ways to understand what is happening.
The goal isn't to teach you how to perform relationships “correctly” or make your communication look like everyone else's. The goal is to help you communicate, connect, and navigate relationships in ways that work better for you and the people in your life.