Ep 43 — Bill Doherty, PhD — Bridging the Gap: Conservatives and Liberals
Feb 13, 2023
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Dr. Bill Doherty, family therapist and professor, discusses bringing conservatives and liberals together through Braver Angels. He emphasizes the importance of listening, understanding, and finding common ground. The podcast explores the roots of political polarization, workshops promoting empathy, structured training for respectful dialogue, storytelling to bridge divides, and effective communication strategies.
Braver Angels promotes connecting and finding common ground between conservatives and liberals to address political polarization.
Personal life experiences shape values and beliefs about public policy, emphasizing the importance of understanding one another through stories and values.
Therapeutic communication skills are applied by Braver Angels to encourage constructive political dialogues rooted in listening, curiosity, and humility.
Deep dives
Working Across Political Divides to Combat Polarization
The podcast episode discusses Dr. Bill Doherty's initiative, Braver Angels, aimed at bringing conservatives and liberals together to address political polarization. He emphasizes the importance of connecting, listening, and finding common ground, rooted in higher values, to bridge the divide.
Bringing Conservatives and Liberals Together Through Personal Stories
Dr. Doherty shares how personal life experiences influence individuals' values and beliefs about public policy and service. By encouraging discussions focused on personal stories and values rather than policies, Braver Angels helps individuals understand each other better.
Transforming Congressional Town Halls and Workplace Conversations
Braver Angels aims to reinvent congressional town halls and workplace interactions by introducing modern features like small group discussions, report outs, and respectful dialogue. The organization is expanding its workshops to foster trust in elections and address polarized issues.
Utilizing Therapeutic Communication Skills in Bridging Political Divides
Applying therapeutic communication skills, Braver Angels focuses on connecting first, finding common ground, and sharing perspectives in a non-confrontational manner. By incorporating listening, curiosity, and humility, individuals can engage in constructive political dialogues.
Promoting Unity and Understanding Through Shared Values and Solutions
Through workshops like the Common Ground Workshop, Braver Angels encourages individuals to explore shared values, concerns, and solutions across political divides. By formulating consensus agreements and focusing on common values, participants can foster unity and understanding.
This is the second time we welcome Dr. Bill Doherty on LOVELINK. Dr. Doherty is a family therapist and professor in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota. He is the co-founder of The Doherty Relationship Institute, helping couples on the brink and using his model of discernment counseling, to work through ambivalence around breaking up or staying together. In our last interview, we discussed dating, breakups, and how to choose a partner. Today, we are thrilled to interview him about his latest project Braver Angels, an initiative to bring conservatives and liberals together to combat political polarization. Using all his skills from couples therapy, Dr. Doherty has successfully helped individuals and groups with different political backgrounds come together and respect one another.
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