It's Time to Talk (and Listen): How to Have Constructive Conversations About Race, Class, Sexuality, Ability & Gender in a Polarized World

Alicia del Prado, PhD and Anatasia S. Kim, PhD are releasing a book about having conversations about controversial topics.

Kim and del Prado are both faculty members with the Clinical Psychology program at the Wright Institute and have had their fair share of what are often called "difficult conversations." In this groundbreaking and easy-to-read book, the two psychologists draw from their extensive personal and professional experience to provide practical guidance to readers who are interested in engaging in richer, more productive conversations across various dimensions of diversity.

Here's what they have to say about their new book, which will be released on July 1, 2019:

Let’s face it—some topics are just harder to talk about than others, especially when it comes to politics, race, class, gender, and sexuality. If you’ve ever struggled in a disagreement with a loved one, colleague, or even a stranger, you know how uncomfortable, emotionally charged, and even painful it can be. So, how can you have constructive conversations with others, keep your cool, really listen, and use these dialogues as opportunities to spark understanding and positive change?

This practical and user-friendly guide will show you how to engage in effective, compassionate discussions, talk in an authentic and straightforward way about subjects like immigration, racism, and sexism, and speak from the heart with tools from the head. You’ll discover powerfully effective communication strategies supported by research and practiced in classrooms, work settings, and more. Finally, you’ll learn to reach that important next level in difficult conversations, and take what you’ve learned out into the world—whether it’s through political activism, volunteer work, social justice causes, or simply engaging the minds of those around you.

Terry A. Kupers, MD, MSP, professor emeritus in the Wright Institute Clinical Psychology program, wrote the following review: “We are confronted with a historic choice between falling backwards into nationalism, misogyny, homophobia, and xenophobia; or moving forward as a multicultural society built on mutual respect, equality, and the widest possible participation in shaping better social arrangements. Kim and del Prado, in a gentle, loving tone that encourages honesty, empathy, and risk-taking, provide much-needed counsel as well as attainable steps that will greatly help us transcend what divides us, grow fulfilling personal relationships, and advance the struggle for social justice. It’s Time to Talk (and Listen) is extremely wise and entirely timely.”

Counseling Psychology program graduate and cofounder of Partnerships for Trauma Recovery, Monika Parikh, MA, MPA, BS, provided this review: “At a time when our country is more polarized than ever, with deeply felt traumas, fears, and pain preventing us from empathizing with opposing viewpoints, Anatasia Kim and Alicia del Prado’s intentional approach to bridging these divides is vital. In It’s Time to Talk (and Listen), the authors rightly emphasize the need to attend to one’s own emotional reactions, to allow for an openness to another’s truth. With this, they bring hope for a more just, less divided, and more authentically connected society.”

The book will be released on July 1, 2019 and is available for preorder now:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound


Learn more about the Wright Institute's Master of Counseling Psychology program.
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