Los Angeles Psychologist Yvonne Thomas Quoted In “You Still Have Time To Keep These 10 Resolutions You Made This Year” on readersdigest.com (10/30/2017)

Los Angeles Therapist Yvonne Thomas

Excerpt: “Whether you find yourself in unnecessary tiffs with colleagues or always feel the need to apologize to friends or to your partner, improving your communication skills to be more direct and effective will benefit your overall social interactions for years to come. To begin, Yvonne Thomas, Ph.D., suggests starting with a minor modification to the way you approach sentences. Instead of starting with “you,” use “I” instead. “This sounds more pleasant to listen to and is less likely to cause defensiveness in the recipient of the message,” she says. Another tactic is to decrease ambiguity and vagueness in your conversations, by giving specific details that are important, without being accusatory or martyr-like. As an example, Thomas says, if you need someone’s help, you might say, “I wanted to pick up all the party favors at our local party store. However, I don’t really have time to get these or I will be very late for the party. Can you please get me about ten of the blue ones and about ten of the pink ones as soon as possible?” This leaves out any chance of confusion and clearly states what you need.”

Read what Los Angeles therapist Yvonne Thomas, Ph.D. has to say on readersdigest.com’s “You Still Have Time To Keep These 10 Resolutions You Made This Year.”