Couple Skills # 8 – Assessing and Changing Aversive Strategies

Aversive strategies often yield very good short-term results: a partner is hurt or intimidated into giving you what you want. But over time, aversive strategies cease to work. People become numb and unaffected, or rebellious, or deeply alienated. Intimacy and trust are replaced with anger, detachment, or resistance. It’s a high price. In this workshop you will learn to identify and change the eight aversive strategies most frequently used to control others in relationships. You can assess which strategies you tend to use and become more aware of their impact on you and your partner. Finally, you’ll have the opportunity to explore and practice the two foundational skills in healthy conflict resolution.