How to Engage Difficult People
Keith Miller
These days it seems there’s a jerk waiting around every corner—on the street, on your social media feed, even in your consulting room. Is there anything therapists can do for our clients and communities to help us successfully engage with the antagonistic people in our lives? In this workshop, we’ll examine how to apply the therapeutic concept of radical acceptance as a practical and safe strategy to bring more peace, civility, and creativity into potentially polarizing situations. You’ll discover how to:
- Work more effectively with narcissistic or borderline clients who challenge our boundaries
- Avoid common mistakes when dealing with an antagonistic or difficult person by paying too much or too little attention to their behavior
- Keep yourself safe and sane when interacting with clients who hold extreme beliefs by connecting to your own courage and creativity and getting support from others
Keith Miller, LICSW, is a psychotherapist specializing in mindfulness-based Internal Family Systems therapy. He’s the author of 21-Day Marriage Transformation: The SIMPLE Antidote to Relationship Conflict and Negativity and Love Under Repair: How to Save Your Marriage and Survive Couples Therapy.
