The number one presenting problems for couples seeking therapy is “communication.” Furthermore, the most common complaint that adolescents have about their parents is that they “don’t understand” while their parents counter that the children “don’t listen.”
Having earned my doctorate in Interpersonal Communication, I can fully appreciate that communication is a learned skill. We can all learn to be better communicators: more diplomatic, more clear in our messaging, to be better listeners, and have better timing. I can help you with pragmatic communication skills, including fair fighting and problem solving.
Good starting places:
How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk (2012) by Faber and Mazlish.
You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation (2007) by Deborah Tannen