Running Header: LETTER of counsel 1 LETTER OF COUNSEL 8 Letter of Counsel Jonathan Brady COM200: Interpersonal Communication Instructor: Erin Buseck February 22, 2017 Dear Jonathan and Evelyn, Thank you for coming to me for advice, I am truly honored to help you guys out in your current situation. I have studied and learned valuable information from my Interpersonal Communication course that will assist with making your marriage better. …show more content…
Several barriers can cause a relationship to have problems. Interpersonal communication researchers William Cupach and Brian Spitzberg (1994) published a book called The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication, in which they exclusively focused on the malevolent forces that can influence interactions and relationships. (Bevan & Sole, 2014). With the dark side, communication can be stressful and dysfunctional. Even though the dark side can be hurtful, it also can cause the relationship to be open and honest and help with the issues you are having with one another. Conflict styles are patterned behavioral responses that individuals use across different conflicts and with various people. The first battle style is avoidance, which occurs when there is a low concern for yourself and a small concern for the other party. In some relationships people think ignoring the conflict and not talking about it will go away. However, researchers found that in failing marriages negative emotions overwhelm the interaction between the parties, who then withdraw from each other (Zautra, 2003). The second style is accommodation; this is where you are not the concern with your feelings but with your significant others. You want to please them, and in some cases, this will defuse a hostile situation. Those with an accommodating conflict style have a body posture that is often closed, with their arms drawn inward, and they rarely use gestures to punctuate their speech (Hartley, 1999). Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:good Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:There are s Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:that Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:diffe Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:ent Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:conf Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:ict Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:ow Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:, Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:own Comment by