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Hard Conversations: Why They Matter and How to Have Them

June 2, 2022 @ 12:00 PM 1:00 PM CDT

June 2 | 1:00-2:00pm Eastern

Hard Conversations: Why They Matter and How to Have Them

Is there a conversation you need to have that you are dreading? What if a free one-hour webinar could move you from dread to readiness?

You know who that person is– that person you know you need to talk to. You know life would be so much better without that painful tension in the air between you.

Maybe you don’t know how to start the conversation. Maybe you have no hope that it will go well–that anything good could come out of it. Maybe you think talking could only make things worse. But as time goes by, it feels more and more important that you clear the air.

This webinar will give you what you need to embark on that dialogue you’re dreading–and come out of it stronger than you started.

What you’ll gain from this session:

  • Awareness of the support that will help you enter a hard conversation
  • An understanding of the science behind deep listening and how it builds trust
  • Practice cultivating curiosity and dropping judgment
  • Clarity on what you can get from the dialogue, regardless of how they respond
  • Tips on how to take good care of yourself during and after your conversation

This is a one-hour teaser for an upcoming 5-week course, Tough Talks: How To Communicate with Grace and Compassion. In this experiential program, Alyson Ewald will guide you as you develop your ability to ground yourself in presence, listen with empathy, understand others, make clear requests, and get the support you need to communicate clearly and meaningfully with the people in your life.

“Alyson has invested a lot of thought and practice into how to engage in different types of communications that are successful in both process and outcome, including difficult conversations where emotions threaten to derail any meaningful movement forward.  More importantly, she uses her approaches and awareness in her personal life, and assists others to find their best path forward in both simple and complex situations.”

– Dorothy Goertz

Meet the Instructor

Alyson Ewald

Alyson works with individuals and groups to design systems and practices that facilitate learning, connection, creative conflict engagement, and collaborative decision making. She is the facilitator for the social dimension of the online Design for Sustainability course hosted by Gaia Education. She has received training and experience in English teaching, Permaculture, Alternatives to Violence, Nonviolent Communication, Consensus Facilitation, and Restorative Circles. She has also served as board member for Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, Scotland County Farmers’ Market, and FIC. She is an avid student of governance, conflict, and justice.

After receiving her BA in English from Bates College, Alyson lived and worked overseas for nine years. During that time, she taught English; coordinated exchange programs; led workshops on consensus, nonviolence, and facilitation; and founded and taught a leadership and skill-building program. In 2005, she co-founded Red Earth Farms, a community in northeast Missouri, where she continues to practice permaculture and social transformation.

 

Registration

The Online Event Experience

 

Live Zoom Sessions

Nothing pre-recorded here! When you sign-up for an event with FIC, you’ll have the opportunity to join a live session on Zoom with the event presenter/facilitator and other participants.

Affordable and Accessible

All our events are run on a sliding scale basis. Generous donations cover the costs for low-income attendees. FIC is committed to making our programs accessible to people of all walks of life.

Watch the Recording

You’ll receive the recording of your event to view for up to one month (unless otherwise noted). So don’t worry if you can’t attend a live session. Watch or listen whenever it is convenient for you.

Loved by Community Builders

What a beautiful gift to our intentional community builders and leaders! FIC’s programs provide a way for thinking and concerned people to collaborate for solutions to our multitude of global crises. Thank you FIC!Terri Garcia

I am constantly impressed by the down-to-earth practicality of the FIC workshops combined with the philosophical questions that are so vital for us to explore. I’m grateful for the excellent planning and delivery of the workshops by skilled and inclusive presenters, who create a space that is both welcoming and invites participants to challenge existing ideas and world views. Well done and thank you FIC.Claire Ogden

Free – $25

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