Allen, Thom and Patrick continue the conversation about how we can contribute to the national healing while a global pandemic still rages, in the aftermath of political corruption and insurrection, at the outset of a new administration with an uncertain future. Characterizing our political culture as based not on wisdom but competition, the discussion is about how we might educate the public that the same tenets of communication frequently addressed in therapy can be beneficial to improving our political discourse. Specifically, the importance of learning to  “convey rather than to convince,” and communicating through “dialogue, not debate." Allen calls for conjoining the conversations surrounding politics and psychology to better serve both. We also observe the value of the recently-held memorial service in Washington DC for the thousands of Americans whose lives were tragically lost to COVID-19.

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