Join Dr. Emily Taylor as she coaches Maya through her complex family estrangement. Like Maya, you may have estranged relatives or friends that you’d like to reconnect with, but fears of manipulation or accidentally worsening the conflict may make you hesitant. Dr. Emily helps Maya understand her hesitations, and gives her concrete skills for moving forward. Tune in to glean practical strategies and insights on handling your own conflicts.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

- Review your push and pull factors

- Build on previous relationship success through small interactions

- Incorporate your spiritual beliefs into your conflict strategy

Let us know how these strategies work in your own life! Email Dr. Emily at [email protected] or connect with her on social media: @conflictcoachwithdremily

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction to Conflict Coach

(0:53) Introducing Maya’s Family Conflict

(6:16) Exploring Push and Pull Factors

(8:45) Reconnecting Through Small Steps

(15:56) Incorporating Spiritual Beliefs

(21:00) Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Dr. Emily Taylor kicks off the new year by introducing five essential skills for managing conflicts more effectively in 2026. With the new year, you may have goals or resolutions related to conflicts in your life. Listen along as she offers insights pulled from previous episodes of Conflict Coach.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

- Focus on your relationship

- Work towards repair in small steps

- Identify your “why” in a conflict

- Role-playing from someone else’s point of view

- Create a positive personal narrative

Let us know how these strategies work in your own life! Email Dr. Emily at [email protected] or connect with her on social media: @conflictcoachwithdremily

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(1:13) Skill 1: Focus on the Relationship, Not the Conflict

(6:46) Skill 2: Take Smaller Steps to Repair the Relationship

(13:49) Skill 3: Identify Your ‘Why’ in a Conflict

(17:51) Skill 4: Role-Playing from the Other Person’s Point of View

(22:13) Skill 5: Creating a Positive Narrative of Conflict Failures

(26:37) Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Watch video of this episode on the Conflict Coach YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@ConflictCoachPodcast

Listen to the full episodes referenced in this episode:

S1E5: What Role Are You Playing in the Conflict? (Tyler)

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conflict-coach-with-dr-emily-taylor/id1790957419?i=1000697558934

S1E8: How Can You Mend an Estranged Relationship? (Morgan)

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conflict-coach-with-dr-emily-taylor/id1790957419?i=1000703559303

S2E1: How Do You Navigate Difficult Relationships When You’re Grieving? (Stacie)

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conflict-coach-with-dr-emily-taylor/id1790957419?i=1000729214824

S2E3: Are You The Source of Tension in Your Conflicts? (Laura)

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conflict-coach-with-dr-emily-taylor/id1790957419?i=1000733809885

S2E6:How Do I Make the Change I Want in My Life? (Spencer)

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conflict-coach-with-dr-emily-taylor/i

Dr. Emily Taylor coaches Naomi, who is struggling with her father's distance from their shared faith. Religious or not, you’ve likely been in a scenario where you wished someone else shared your deeply-held conviction. Naomi shares her heartfelt desire to reconnect with her father through her faith, and Dr. Emily offers insights into distinguishing between persuasion and manipulation. Together, they explore the power of active listening and creating structured dialogues to foster mutual understanding and respect. This episode is a must-listen for anyone facing conflict around deeply held beliefs or values.

In this episode you’ll learn how to:

- Know the difference between manipulation and persuasion

- Become a better active listener

- Create a structure for difficult conversation topics

Let us know how these strategies work in your own life! Email Dr. Emily at [email protected] or connect with her on social media: @conflictcoachwithdremily

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction to Conflict Coach

(1:04) Meet Naomi: Struggling with Faith Difference with her Father

(9:02) Persuasion vs. Manipulation

(12:35) Switch to a Loving Approach

(17:10) The Power of Active Listening

(22:35) Structuring Difficult Conversations

(27:52) Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Dr. Emily Taylor coaches Spencer, a young professional feeling unappreciated at his job. At some point or another, you’ve probably felt stuck in a job, a relationship, or some other situation, and didn’t know how to get out of it. This episode dives into navigating how to align your goals and aspirations with what’s going on in your life. Whether you're facing similar issues at work or in other areas of your life, listen in to gain valuable insights and practical strategies for resolving conflicts and fostering personal growth.

In this episode you’ll learn how to:

- Identify when expectations are out of alignment

- Know when to bend or hold firm to a boundary

- Create a positive personal narrative out of negative experiences

Let us know how these strategies work in your own life! Email Dr. Emily at [email protected] or connect with her on social media: @conflictcoachwithdremily

(0:00) Introduction to Conflict Coach

(0:56) Meet Spencer: Struggles at Work

(5:19) Navigating Expectation Alignment

(7:15) Spencer’s Realizations and Adjustments

(13:45) Knowing Your Limits

(15:17) Creating a Positive Personal Narrative

(20:53) Conclusion and Key Takeaways

In this special episode, Dr. Emily Taylor is joined by producer Mitchell Tousley to share tips for handling five common conflicts that happen around the holidays. Together, they discuss practical strategies for managing family expectations, balancing time between multiple families, navigating gift-giving differences, recognizing holiday labor, and respecting diverse beliefs and traditions.

Whether you’re struggling to split time between relatives, feeling overwhelmed by holiday preparations, or facing generational differences in how you celebrate, Dr. Taylor offers actionable tips to help you approach the holidays with confidence, compassion, and a little less stress.

In this episode you’ll learn how to:

- Align your holiday time to your highest priorities

- Identify the time vs. money differential in gift-giving conflict

- Prioritize and delegate holiday labor

- Maintain boundaries around work and family commitments during the holidays

Let us know how these strategies work in your own life! Email Dr. Emily at [email protected] or connect with her on social media: @conflictcoachwithdremily

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Introduction: Setting the Stage for Holiday Conflict

00:26 – Balancing Time Between In-Laws

04:14 – Navigating Gift-Giving Expectations

10:49 – Recognizing and Sharing Holiday Labor

17:26 – Respecting Differences in Belief and Tradition

23:24 – Managing Work and Family Commitments

26:50 – Final Thoughts and Holiday Wishes

Watch video of this episode on the Conflict Coach YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@ConflictCoachPodcast

Dr. Emily Taylor coaches Sarah, who is feeling increasingly frustrated with the inconsistency of her long-time friend Julie. We all have cherished friendships that we’d like to last forever, but knowing when it’s time to let one go is an important part of maintaining healthy boundaries.

In this episode, Dr. Emily helps Sarah understand the signs of growing out of a friendship and the opportunity to establish several layers of friendships that can receive different levels of her time and attention. Together, they develop a strategy to realign Sarah’s friendship with Julie to better match her current stage of life.

In this episode you’ll learn how to:

- Recognize when a friendship has become one-sided

- Triage your friendships to different levels of intimacy

- Appropriately respond when a boundary is crossed

Let us know how these strategies work in your own life! Email Dr. Emily at [email protected] or connect with her on social media: @conflictcoachwithdremily

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Conflict Coach

00:53 Meet Sarah: Frustration with a Close Friend

06:44 Signs You’re Growing Out of a Friendship

14:53 Triaging Friendships

16:28 Sarah’s Plan for Setting Boundaries

24:19 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Dr. Emily Taylor coaches Laura, who is having conflict with a new coworker and wonders if she’s the cause of the tension. If you're someone who likes to be liked - and most of us are! - it's easy to slip into blaming yourself for conflicts in your life. In this coaching session, Dr. Emily helps Laura to unpack why she sees herself as the cause of the tension and how that limits the options Laura has for resolving the conflict with her coworker. Together they explore Laura’s needs in the conflict and role-play to uncover what the coworker’s needs might be. Then they brainstorm ways Laura could engage with her coworker to resolve their friction.

In this episode you’ll learn how to:

- Name your needs in a conflict

- Uncover your conflict partner’s needs through role-play

- Effectively brainstorm your options

- Resolve conflict through negotiation, rather than competition

Dr. Emily recommends this resource from the Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Academy to help you name your needs and feelings: https://nvcacademy.com/media/NVCA/learning-tools/NVCA-feelings-needs.pdf

Let us know how these strategies work in your own life! Email Dr. Emily at [email protected] or connect with her on social media: @conflictcoachwithdremily

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Conflict Coach

00:53 Meet Laura and Her Workplace Conflict

03:17 Understanding the Root of the Conflict

08:16 Role-Playing to Gain Perspective

16:50 Brainstorming Solutions

25:33 Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Dr. Emily Taylor coaches Kristy, who is struggling to advocate for herself at work and now faces discipline that could result in her firing. The longer you wait to acknowledge your own needs in a conflict, the harder it becomes. Kristy has spent more than a decade keeping her vision loss a secret at work, even though she has a legal right to receive assistance. Now that her eyesight is affecting her ability to do her job, Kristy feels like her needs are a burden to others, but also that she’s being treated unfairly by her boss. Dr. Emily helps Kristy brainstorm ways to resolve the conflict while confidently addressing her own needs.

In this episode you’ll learn how to:

- Avoid premature problem-solving

- Feel confident identifying and expressing your needs

- Find a mentor to guide you in the conflict

Let us know how these strategies work in your own life! Email Dr. Emily at [email protected] or connect with her on social media: @conflictcoachwithdremily

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to The Conflict Coach

01:11 Trouble at Work

02:49 Worsening Eyesight and Accommodations

06:26 Avoiding Premature Problem-Solving

08:30 Identifying Needs

12:08 Honoring Needs

15:15 Brainstorming Options

21:55 Conclusion and Takeaways

Dr. Emily Taylor coaches Stacie, who recently lost her sister to suicide and is in conflict with her late sister’s husband. Grief can heighten the tension in relationships and sometimes makes it difficult to identify what our own needs are in conflict. Dr. Emily helps Stacie sift through her hurt and anger to pinpoint her core need in the conflict. In the process, Stacie discovers new options to pursue in her relationship with her sister’s family and ends the session feeling hopeful.

In this episode you’ll learn how to:

- Identify your “why” in a conflict.

- Use the 4 steps of nonviolent communication.

- Discover paths forward through role-playing.

Let us know how these strategies work in your own life! Email Dr. Emily at [email protected] or connect with her on social media: @conflictcoachwithdremily

If you or someone you know is in crisis, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 for free, confidential support. Call or text 988.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to The Conflict Coach

01:28 Sister’s Suicide

02:20 Prior Conflict with Sister’s Family

05:46 Getting to the Core Need

12:32 Roleplaying Nonviolent Communication

19:05 Roleplay Recap

22:04 Conclusion and Takeaway

Tired of feeling overwhelmed by conflict in your life? Learn the skills to confidently handle any conflict, as certified mediator Dr. Emily Taylor coaches real people through real conflicts in their lives. From family struggles to workplace disputes, neighborhood conflicts to in-law disagreements, each episode of Conflict Coach with Dr. Emily Taylor gives you concrete strategies to find the root of a conflict, identify solutions and create positive change.

Dr. Emily Taylor’s passion for helping others gain the confidence to navigate conflict comes from her personal experience (she’s a married mom of five!) and her professional life (PhD in psychology, certified conflict mediator, author of the books “Conflict Fluent” and “Raising Mediators.”)

Conflicts are inevitable, but they don’t have to ruin your life. Let Dr. Emily Taylor be your guide to building the life you want.

Conflict Coach with Dr. Emily Taylor is a BYUradio podcast. New episodes every other Tuesday starting February 4. Connect with Dr. Emily on social media @conflictcoachwithdremily.