x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues

PersefoneCoaching

Learn to discuss divisive issues with clarity, empathy, and evidence-based arguments while managing emotions effectively persefonecoaching.substack.com

education how to

All Episodes

2:39

Building Emotional Regulation Skills For Keeping Calm...

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/12/01

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit persefonecoaching.substack.comDaily Practices That Build Emotional ResilienceInclude regular self-reflection about your emotional patterns and triggers. Spend a few minutes each day thinking about interactions that went well or poorly, and what you might learn from them. This helps you recognise patterns and develop more effective responses over time.Mindfulness helps you develop the ability to observe your thoughts and emotions without

en

1:41

De-escalation in Conversation: Understanding the...

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/11/04

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit persefonecoaching.substack.comSlowing Down: The Power of PaceThe Technique: Deliberately slow down the pace of conversation. Take longer pauses between exchanges. Speak more slowly and give people time to finish their thoughts completely.Why This Works: When emotions run high, our nervous system shifts into a heightened state. Speech quickens, we interrupt more, and jump between topics without resolution. By slowing the pace, you’re

en

2:35

How To Return to Constructive Conversation After...

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/11/02

Recognising When You’re TriggeredIf you feel your temper, the most important thing is to acknowledge what triggered rather than pretending it didn’t occur or trying to justify your reaction. Taking responsibility means naturally justifying your actions can make the situation more awkward and shift focus away from the substantive discussion.When you acknowledge your trigger, you interrupt the automatic defensive spiral. Pretending nothing happened or justifying your reaction keeps you in an

en

3:54

Managing Your Emotions During Intense Conversations

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/31

When Emotions Rise: The PAUSE TechniqueP - Pause: Stop talking, even mid-sentence if necessaryA - Acknowledge: Notice what you’re feeling without judgmentU - Understand: Recognise what triggered this reactionS - Shift: Redirect focus to curiosity about their perspectiveE - Express: Share feelings without attributing motivesUseful Phrases for Emotional RegulationAcknowledging Your Emotions* “I can feel myself getting worked up, let me step back”* “That clearly touched a nerve for me”* “I notice I’m

en

3:54

Managing Your Emotional Responses Preparing for...

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/30

Preparing for Difficult ConversationsSet Realistic Expectations* You won’t change their mind in one conversation* They may not change yours either, and that’s okay* Progress might mean better understanding, not agreementClarify Your Specific Goals* What do you hope to achieve? Better relationship? Understanding?* What would success look like? Changed behaviour? Shared knowledge?* What’s your minimum acceptable outcome?Practice Expressing Key Points Calmly* Rehearse your main points without emotional

en

2:59

Learning to Read Your Own Reactions

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/30

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit persefonecoaching.substack.comDeveloping emotional self-awareness requires honest reflection about your personal patterns and triggers. Understanding your patterns allows you to recognise escalation before it dominates the conversation and helps you respond more effectively when emotions run high.The Words That Set You OffPay attention to specific words or phrases that set you off. Maybe it’s when someone uses terms like “tax and spend”

en

3:14

Why Political Conversations Get So Heated (emotional...

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/29

Understanding why contentious conversations trigger such strong emotions is the first step in managing them effectively. These reactions are normal human responses that touch on our deepest concerns about who we are and what matters to us.Your Feed Has Been Training YouMost of us now encounter political content through platforms designed to maximise engagement, and nothing maximises engagement quite like outrage. You’re forming opinions about politicians and policies whilst being fed a constant

en

5:39

What To Do When Arguments Don't Work

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/26

Sometimes the problem isn’t your argument. Logical arguments have limits, and understanding when and why they fail helps you recognise when to change approaches entirely.When Politics Becomes IdentityThe toughest situation you’ll face is when someone’s political position has become part of who they are as a person, not just something they believe, but something they are.How to spot this:Watch for defensive reactions that seem disproportionate to the substance of your point. They respond with

en

1:15

Testing Your Own Arguments Before You Use Them

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/25

Question 1: Would Someone New to This Issue Understand My Reasoning?This is harder than it sounds. You’re familiar with the issue. You’ve read about it, thought about it, discussed it. Certain steps in your reasoning feel obvious to you because you’ve made those connections before.The person you’re talking to might not have that background. Steps that seem obvious to you might be complete leaps to them.How to test this:Imagine explaining your argument to someone intelligent but unfamiliar with the

en

2:34

Mistakes That Weaken Arguments: Appeal to Emotion

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/24

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit persefonecoaching.substack.comPLEASE NOTE: The text below goes into way more more detail:“If you oppose this spending increase, you obviously don’t care about vulnerable people.”“Anyone questioning these security measures must not care about protecting citizens from terrorism.”“If you support this policy, you clearly don’t care about future generations.”“People who disagree with me on this just don’t care about fairness.”The pattern:

en

2:22

Mistakes That Weaken Arguments: Hasty Generalisations

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/23

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit persefonecoaching.substack.comWhat This Looks Like* “My cousin waited eight months for a hip operation. The NHS is completely broken and beyond saving.”* “My neighbor’s son graduated with a degree in history and works in Tesco. University is a waste of time and money.”* “My mate’s business couldn’t find anyone to hire last summer. Nobody wants to work anymore.”One or two examples, often from personal experience or people you know, treated

en

4:02

Mistakes That Weaken Arguments: False Dichotomies

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/22

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit persefonecoaching.substack.comYou’re in a political discussion and someone says: “Either you support the strikers or you support businesses exploiting workers.” Or: “Either we invest everything in renewables now or we accept climate catastrophe.” Or: “Either you’re with us or you’re against us.”These are false dichotomies. They’re rhetorical traps that destroy productive conversatio…

en

7:06

How to Build Arguments That Actually Work

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/21

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit persefonecoaching.substack.comYou’ve done all the listening. You understand their concerns. You’ve found common ground. Now you need to make your case. This is where most people fall apart. They either waffle about vaguely, or they dump everything they know on the other person, or they make claims without backing them up.The CLEAR framework gives you a structure for making arguments that people can actually engage with. Here’s how to use

en

1:46

Understanding-Based Discussions

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/20

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit persefonecoaching.substack.comRight. You want to have political conversations that actually work. You want to influence people without starting rows. You want to discuss things you care about without everyone getting defensive and shutting down. Here’s how you actually do that.This is different from what we covered earlier. The comment section stuff was about spotting bots and handling online chaos. The anger management piece was about

en

2:01

When You Get Angry in Conversations: How to Reset and...

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/19

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit persefonecoaching.substack.comPlease note that the text below is more detailed than the content of the videoYou’re having a conversation. It’s going reasonably well. Then they say something that makes your blood boil. Suddenly you’re not listening anymore. You’re planning your attack. You’re thinking about how wrong they are. You’re done with understanding.This happens to everyone. The question is what you do about it.Your Body Knows

en

2:42

Paraphrasing in Meetings and Negotiations

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/19

The purpose of paraphrasing is twofold. First, it confirms that you’ve understood their main points correctly. Miscommunication is surprisingly common, even when people think they’re being clear. Second, it demonstrates that you’re genuinely listening and taking their perspective seriously.What to avoid when paraphrasing Don’t add your own spin, don’t highlight only the parts you disagree with, and don’t use paraphrasing as a setup for your counterargument. The goal is understanding, not positioning

en

21:54

Strategic Guide: Navigating Online Comment Sections

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/18

Right. Let’s talk about comment sections.Comment sections are where people vent, react emotionally, and argue in short bursts. It’s chaotic. But you can engage effectively in that chaos if you know what you’re doing. This guide shows you how.Core Reality: Comment Sections Are Emotional BattlegroundsWhat Actually HappensHere’s what you need to understand about comment sections: they work differently than you think.* People react to headlines, not articles. Most commenters didn’t read past the

en

12:23

When Friends Disagree Over Politics

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/17

Please note the text below differs to the content of the videoFriendships can end. That simple fact changes everything about political disagreement with friends. Your parents remain your parents regardless of politics. Your siblings stay your siblings. Friends can walk away.What’s Actually at StakeYou chose this person. They chose you. Now you discover they hold political views you find wrong or even harmful.Imagineour friend supports Brexit and you opposed it. Or they think universal basic income

en

19:22

Listening When Blood and Beliefs Collide

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/16

Political disagreement with strangers costs nothing. You walk away and never see them again. Political disagreement with family costs everything. You sit across from them at birthdays, weddings, funerals, and Sunday dinners for the rest of your life. The stakes are not about winning an argument. The stakes are about whether your relationship survives intact, whether family gatherings become battlegrounds, whether you lose access to people you love because neither of you could navigate political

en

1:57

The Steel-Manning Exercise

How To Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues ·

2025/10/15

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit persefonecoaching.substack.comPlease note the text below goes into much more depth than the videoYou have learned to listen. You have learned to ask questions. You have learned to inhabit others’ perspectives emotionally. These skills function during conversation, requiring real-time attention and discipline. The exercise that follows happens before conversation, in private, where you can develop the intellectual strength to engage with

en

31 results

Similar Podcasts

Science Talk

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

五分钟心理学

柠檬心理

Daily Facts

Amalia Dupray and Montgomery Jones.

Les dents et dodo

BFMTV

Veterinary Clinical Podcasts

The Royal Veterinary College