Co-creating Peace

One of the primary reasons I started this podcast was because of challenges we humans have in being able to have peaceful conversations when we have differences of opinion, especially when those differences are around topics about which we care a great deal, and therefore have high emotion around. We lack these skills because they were never taught to us! In this episode, “Teaching Civil Dialogue...

Trauma is a part of life, as the world we’re living in continually shows us. Yet we don’t have to carry that trauma throughout our life. Welcome to “EmotionAid® –  5 Steps to Reduce Trauma and Deactivate High Emotion” , Episode #139 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.  Join me for this enlightening episode as I welcome back Jeffrey Goldstein to...

In Episodes #20 , #76 & #77 , I had some great conversations with guests about boundaries. Today’s guests, Jan & Jillian Yuhas, twin sisters who are both psychologists and mediators, have a unique take on working with boundaries that emerged from their 20 years of experience in interpersonal psychology and mediation. Welcome to “Boundary Badass: A Powerful Method for Elevating Your Value a...

Welcome to “ Energy Ball for Peace Ceremony". In this episode, Jeffrey Goldstein and I embark on an intriguing exploration of how each of us can harness the natural energy within us to foster peace and healing for ourselves and others. Jeffrey guides us through forming an energy ball, a technique using the healing energy within each of us. Join us as Jeffrey describes the transformative peace...

Welcome to "From Conflict to Collaboration: The Art of Mediation”, Episode #136 Have you ever felt trapped in a web of conflict, unsure of how to untangle the emotional threads of anger, fear, and confusion? This week, we're joined by mediator Michael Fraidenburg, co-author with fellow mediator Terry Teale, of the recently published book, “The Art of Mediation” to explore the transformat...

Welcome to “ Don’t Believe Everything You Think ”, Episode #135 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation. If you listen to “Co-creating Peace” on a regular basis, you’ve probably recognized that many of the recent episodes have been related to ways that each of us can bridge the divides that exist between individuals, groups, and countries. Clearly,...

Welcome to “ Lessons on the Road to Peace ”, Episode #134 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation, where we bring you insights and wisdoms from experts in mindfulness and peacemaking from around the world.  As the world wrestles with chasms of division, John Noltner and his wife Karen, set out to traverse the American heartlands, a journey t...

Welcome to "Unlocking Harmony, Compassion, Balance, and Growth in a Divided World" , Episode #133 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation, where we bring you insights and wisdoms from experts in mindfulness and peacemaking from around the world.  In this episode, my guest, Constantin Morun and I discuss how to transform your intern...

Welcome to “ The Graceful Confrontation Guide to Empowered Communication”, Episode #132 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation, where we bring you insights and wisdom from experts in mindfulness and peacemaking from around the world.  Today, Rebecca Whitman, bestselling author of 3 books on business mindset, an award-winning coach, and the...

Welcome to “Empathy is Needed When Things Get Heated”, Episode #131 of Co-creating Peace, a podcast series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.   I have a great story to share with you, told by the three men who lived it, about how an unattended fire that could have been a catastrophe at multiple levels, instead became a powerful wisdom opportunity and a relationship-strength...

With the holidays coming up, we often have high emotion, covering a wide range from love and joy, to anger & frustration, celebration of blessings and grieving for lost ones, old family wounds & grudges, and political tensions – you name it! I want to provide you with as many tools and understandings as possible to bring peace and harmony to your holidays... and to your life. Welcome to Pa...

Ever find yourself feeling stuck in an increasingly tense situation, perhaps with someone you find difficult to deal with, unable to find a resolution, and unsure of how to diffuse the growing tension? Welcome to Part 1 of “Holding the Calm”, Episode #129 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication and conflict transformation.   As a follow-on to the last episode of this podcast –...

Picture this: You're at your family's holiday gathering, and suddenly a heated argument breaks out. The festive atmosphere quickly turns tense, and you find yourself wishing you had a mediator on speed dial. For a wide variety of reasons, holiday family gatherings can sometimes feel like ground zero for conflict.  Welcome to “ Navigating Family Tensions: Lessons from Mediation”, Episode...

What does one do to co-create peace in times like these? Are we powerless to alter the direction and momentum in which humanity seems to be propelling itself helter-skelter into the abyss of mutual destruction? Are we destined to drown in the tsunami of hatred that threatens to wash away all that is good and beautiful in the world?  Or, could we somehow, some way, transcend the tsunami of hatred,...

If ever there were a need for empathy, it is now. Listening to the news about what’s going on around the world, it feels as though humanity is fragmenting right before our eyes. Empathy is the glue that holds humanity together. Empathy reminds us to nurture life through connecting with one another in kindness and compassion. Empathy is one of the most powerful tools we have to transform conflict i...

Imagine a world where a simple circle can create a profound sense of belonging, shift confrontational conversations to collaborative explorations, and emphasize connection and inclusion. That world exists today in Peace Circles. Because of the work of Black Women for Positive Change, and other groups such as the Listen First Coalition , Braver Angels and Living Room Conversations , dialogue circle...

Among the most vulnerable times in a person’s life are those times when they are ill or injured and have to put their wellbeing – sometimes their very life – into the hands of healthcare professionals. We feel scared, vulnerable, alone, even when surrounded by loved ones. In many ways it is a very solitary, often terrifying journey. More than anything in the world, we need to feel nurtured, safe,...

Our greatest power tool for building relationships, and our most devastating weapon for destroying them is our use of words. It’s not only the words themselves, but how and when they are delivered that can make the difference between the construction and the destruction of positive connection and harmony. In Episode #122 , I spoke with Terre Short, author of “The Words We Choose” Your Guide to How...

Have you ever noticed how much chatter is going on in your head? You know what I mean – that internal narrative I spoke about in Episode #8: “Don’t Believe Everything You Think” . Sometimes that internal narrative, which today’s guest calls our “personal podcast”, can lead us down a detrimental road, one that causes us pain, upset, and conflict, and which can have that same effect on the people in...

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic gave us our first experience of health-related lock-downs in the US in current times, isolation and loneliness have been a growing problem for many people. It's gotten to the point that the U.S. surgeon general published an advisory outlining his concerns about the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country earlier th...

Have you ever considered how your subconscious beliefs might be affecting your relationships and communication? In this episode, Judy Kane, founder of Aligned Consciousness, and I delve into the ways our subconscious beliefs shape our communication and boundaries, and how being aware of them can help us make more equitable decisions and prioritize our own goals.  We also discuss how our compliance...

Despite our best intentions and efforts, marriage doesn’t always work out exactly the way we planned; sometimes it doesn’t work out at all! Both marriage and its dissolution can be filled with rancor and conflict, or they can be opportunities for collaboration and growth; sometimes all the above. Whether it’s a marriage in progress or one that is ending, people can make a conscious choice about ho...

Welcome to Part 2 of “Overcoming Division Through Curiosity, Compassion & Courage”, Episode #118 of Co-creating Peace, a series about conscious communication & conflict transformation.  In Episode # 117 , which aired May 28, Tom Fishman , CEO of Starts with Us shared some insights and tools for bridging divides, including how each of us can affect positive change and influence social norms...

In Episode # 112 , which aired in mid-March, I introduced you to Starts With Us by inviting you to participate in their Finding the Way Out Challenge . I'm delighted to welcome Tom Fishman , CEO of Starts with Us to the show to tell us more about Starts with Us , and the wonderful work this organization is doing. Tom will also share some insights and tools for bridging divides. Welcome to “Ov...

I’ve spoken often on this show about how if we want to truly be heard, we have to help others feel safe hearing us. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Stephan Wiedner, a psychological safety expert. Stephan brings us deeper insights into the importance of psychological safety and the myriad of ways it can be used to foster peace and mutual understanding. Welcome to "Psychological Saf...