The Healing Conversation Movement has begun!

All GREAT movements require a bold idea or vision that can connect people around a common cause, set of values, complimentary work, and PASSION!  We think that Healing Conversations Now is a movement whose time has come.

The idea is simple:  Ask open-ended and positively-biased questions to enhance relationships with elders and dying loved ones.  While the idea is simple, many people do not have the tools and skills to enter into these often challenging conversations; ones about critical illness, death, and dying are particularly difficult.

Healing conversations will be different for everyone; the commonality is the opportunity to connect deeply with someone in your life, before it is too late.  Many tools exist for dealing with grief once a person has passed, however we think much more can be gained by engaging in these conversations NOW!

Why is it so hard to start healing conversations?  Lots of reasons… old hurts, distance, misunderstandings, fear of what the other will say, fear that you won’t know what to say…so many reasons.  Just remember, you are not there to change or fix anything.  You are there to understand someone in a way you haven’t before – by asking them questions you’ve not asked before.  You are there to listen differently – without assumptions and judgment.  It might help you to start by imagining saying goodbye to someone and feeling you have given them the opportunity to be understood better, invited them into a deepened sense of connection, and possibly closure.

Why are healing conversations important?  Because they give everyone involved the opportunity to create a lasting, positive memory, connection, and a legacy through story.  The key to great conversations is the kind of questions you ask.  Remember, statements tell; questions invite interaction.  Healing conversations are based upon a “spirit of inquiry,” a natural curiosity.  The questions create space for conversation and invite storytellers to share their life stories, often with very positive results.

Please Join our Movement!!  What else would you like to see on our website or read about in our blogs?  We appreciate your feedback.  Tony and Joan