“You Talk, They Listen…”

 Communication problems are an issue for almost every human being. We often fail to say what we mean, whether by design or because we just don’t know how. We often misunderstand others, and to make matters worse, possibly think we understand them when we don’t. One thing we do every day is communicate with others. We communicate every moment of every day through our eyes, our body language, our behavior, our words, our style, our art and our mere presence.  Whether it’s verbal, nonverbal, through social media, texting, emailing or Skyping, we as individuals communicate to express our thoughts and feelings either positive or negative. Never a one way street, communication takes practice, it takes patience, it takes two and that’s why it is the key to any healthy relationship. Tony Robbins says it best “to effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world, and must use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others”.

Communications are a common source of relationship troubles. When communicating with others, it is important not to blame or criticize the person’s personality, to not contempt by insulting or mocking, to not get defensive or stonewall by withdrawing or refusing to communicate. Part of being in a healthy relationship is having good communication. If you want to communicate better in a relationship, then you have to not only know how to state your ideas, but to be able to really listen to the other person as well. With the help of counseling, a counselor can help identify the underlying problem and provide the client with the necessary tools to communicate effectively and appropriately.  

 Megan Dawes