Why We Should Actively Listen to Others
Actively listening to others is an essential skill that can benefit both the listener and the speaker. Active listening involves not only hearing what someone is saying but also paying attention to their body language, tone of voice, and overall message. Let’s explore some reasons why active listening is so important. Firstly, active listening builds […]
Exploring Peace: Israeli/Palestinian Youth Navigate Conflict in Powerful Documentary
The world has united in many ways to support Ukraine and voice their concerns for the ongoing violence that Russia is imposing on them. It can be difficult to comprehend how peace skills can make a difference when such large conflicts are taking place around the world. However, I try to remind myself that the […]
How Students Can Get Engaged with Online Learning
During the past two years, we have had to change our lifestyle to accommodate our health and those around us. We changed the way we socialized, the way we greet each other, our work environments, and most importantly the way we receive information. However, even though we shifted to virtual learning, the general teaching style […]
Teaching Children the Importance of Getting Involved in Social Justice Issues
Growing up it has always been perceived that children are too young to learn about the harsh truths of the world and are kept in the dark from social justice issues. As a visibly Muslim woman, I have been exposed to learning about social justice and diversity at a young age. Although, living in Canada […]
Strategies to Name our Emotions
Emotions are something we all feel, but when it comes to taking the time to name, can remain a challenge to navigate. Here at TREE, we use “I-statements” for the importance of implementing this strategy within scenarios of conflict to help communicate our true feelings. To use an I-statement, fill in the blanks: “I feel____when____”. […]
Reframing: How to Shift Your Perspective in Conflict
When we hear a hurtful comment in a conversation, it is challenging not to respond from our feelings. Our emotions can be helpful to us but they can also derail us. During one particular conversation with a friend, I had intended to comfort them but my impact turned out to be harmful. Tension began to […]
Giving and Receiving Feedback Effectively
We often hear the word “feedback” used in many different situations, whether at work, school, or even just when a friend wants our opinion on their new haircut. But what is feedback, and how can we use it effectively? Feedback is a response to a message by someone else. Feedback can be given verbally or […]
How to Manage Miscommunication: Intent/Action/Effect
“I’m sure he knew what I meant.” “She knows I was kidding!” Sometimes, even when we have the best intentions, our words and actions hurt people. Maybe someone says something and it feels like a backhanded compliment. Or you respond with a sarcastic comment that leaves a sting. You can fill in the blank with […]
Books to Build Your Conflict Toolkit
I love conflict.* *I love what healthy conflict can teach us about ourselves and the people around us, but even with years of training and experience, I still get anxious during tough conversations. So naturally, it comes up often in conversation with my friends and family. When they ask me, “What should I do in […]
Gottman’s 4 Horsemen, and What We Can Try Instead
When having conflict conversations, it can be easy to engage in behaviours that aren’t actually helpful to the situation. I know it happens to me sometimes, and it can happen in any relationship. Therapist Dr. John Gottman identified four behaviours, which he called the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” that he found to be the […]
