UWI Credit Union has retained a licensed Psychologist who may be made available to members for personal and financial counselling. In times of crises a member may access these services while visiting the Credit Union’s Office to make an appointment.
Quick conflict resolution strategies for your family
One of the most fundamental strategies in dealing with conflict is communication – In conflict situations, take the time to actually understand what needs your family members have that are not being met, and you’ll get instantly to the root cause of the conflict.
When people believe that what they need is being threatened, they react with fear and hostility – Realise that people are seldom directly against others, but are far more often acting out against a perceived threat. In other words, don’t take it personally.
Make it your primary goal to understand one another rather than prove who is right. When the main goal is to preserve relationship harmony, everyone in the conflict can focus on how they actually agree, rather than the ways they are currently disagreeing.
Recognise when communication is just not possible and have the strength to let it go – A well-considered Time Out allows everyone to clear their heads and reduces the chance of something regretful being said.
Understand that some people are on different “channels” in a conflict – Respect that some family members shut down verbally and won’t respond to constant interrogation. Similarly, others just need to be held physically and comforted. Pay attention to body language and have empathy for one another.
Focus on the deeper emotional content of what people are communicating – If someone is accusing you of doing something that hurt their feelings, zoom in on that emotion rather than debating whether you did or didn’t actually do it.
Always clarify how each party has perceived the conflict – you would be surprised how many serious disagreements develop from a simple misunderstanding.