Stuff Happens: The Neuroscience of Difficult Conversations

No matter how hard we try, not everything ever goes according to plan. Understanding what drives our behaviour can help us communicate better with everyone in our lives, including ourselves, especially when a problem arises! In this seminar you will learn the neuroscience behind how we think and act, allowing us to deal with people with more confidence, and most importantly, less stress, particularly when patients become upset. Mindful communication sets the stage for the creating of safe and inclusive spaces to support the formation of therapeutic dentist-patient relationships, founded in empathy.  Additionally, you will also learn the steps to clearly communicate treatment plans and advocate for your patients to ensure they are appropriately consented and able to make informed decisions about their care.  

Learning Objectives 

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Identify details that may be overlooked and may lead to miscommunication and conflict and understand the neuroscience of communication behavior.
• Highlight communication strategies that work, including the SPIKE and NURSE techniques used in medicine for to help address giving bad news/managing upset patients.
• Engage in activities to develop and practice exceptional communication which leads to less stress, and happier teams and patients.