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Communication

29 articles

  1. Apr 8, 2026 · 9 min read

    Left Brain and Right Brain Conflict Resolution

    Left Brain and Right Brain Conflict Resolution © 2026 by Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. You are meeting Mary for the first time. She is angry about something and she is…

  2. Jun 14, 2024

    The Dangerous Bias in Fabulous Reports

    The Dangerous Bias in Fabulous Reports © 2024 Jenni McBride McNamara, LMFT, PC Intro from Bill Eddy This month we have a great article about how to write…

  3. Oct 25, 2023

    Addressing the Bully in the Room: High Conflict Personalities in Workplace Investigations

    Workplace conflict is nothing new. But for employers, undertaking workplace investigations is a relatively new – and highly prevalent – practice. A large proportion of workplace conflicts include at least one person exhibiting traits of a high conflict personality. This raises the question of how an investigator can be equipped to run a fair and effective process, despite the challenges presented by high conflict personalities.

  4. Jun 28, 2023

    BIFF Response® at Work: Responding to Hostile Mail

    BIFF Response® at Work:Responding to Hostile Mail ©2023 Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. Hostile mail – especially email, texts and other electronic communications – has…

  5. Dec 15, 2021

    EAR Statements for the Holidays

    ©2021 Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. The past two years have been stressful throughout the world, with endless Covid, endless crazy weather, and endless political…

  6. Nov 9, 2021

    EAR Statements Can Calm Clients and Anyone, Especially in Today’s World

    EAR Statements Can Calm Clients and Anyone, Especially in Today’s World©2021 Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.We all need empathy, attention, and respect—especially in…

  7. Sep 16, 2021

    "Fast Facts" for Professionals: 3 Ways an EAR Statement Can Calm Clients

    “Fast Facts” for Professionals:3 Ways an EAR Statement™ Can Calm Clients©2021 Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.Professionals and businesses are facing more and more…

  8. Sep 14, 2021

    An Interview with Bill Eddy: Calming Upset People with EAR

    An Interview with Bill Eddy: Calming Upset People with EAR©2021 Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. 1. What does “EAR” stand for and why did you develop it?EAR stands for…

  9. Apr 14, 2020

    7 Tips for Dealing with Difficult People During this Crisis

    7 Tips for Dealing with Difficult People During This Crisis©2020 Bill Eddy, LCSW, EsqHow are you doing during this homebound coronavirus crisis? We hope you’re…

  10. Jul 17, 2019

    Writing BIFF Responses to High Conflict People When You Don’t Feel Like It

    ©2019 Megan Hunter, MBAReceiving an email, text or letter can put a dent in your day when it contains a zinger. It can get right under your skin and ruin your…

  11. Jul 27, 2018

    Calming Upset People Fast with EAR

    <p style="white-space: pre-wrap;">An EAR Statement can calm an upset or hostile person within seconds.</p>

  12. Sep 5, 2017

    5 Tips for Setting Boundaries in Relationships

    5 Tips for Setting Boundaries in Relationships ©2017 Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. We continue to get requests for suggestions for setting boundaries in…

  13. Jan 19, 2017

    How to Reply to Angry Texts & Emails – 5 BIFF Response® Examples

    ©2017 Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.Dealing with High Conflict People and their irate communications can leave you at a loss for words. The BIFF Response® Method helps…

  14. Jul 9, 2015

    Communicating with High Conflict People - From “Fuhgeddaboudit” to “What’s Your Proposal?”

    © 2015 Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.High Conflict People (HCPs) tend to have a pattern of self-defeating and upsetting behavior. Generally, this pattern includes:A…

  15. Oct 22, 2014

    Should I Just Let Go?

    © 2014 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.This blog is dedicated to coping with difficult communications and High-Conflict People. All too often, parents get caught up in…

  16. Aug 6, 2014

    Quick Tips for Controlling Communications with a Hostile Ex

    © 2914 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.Divorce, separation or ending any relationship is tough. It just plain hurts and it can be hard to eat, sleep, work or focus. If…

  17. May 30, 2014 · 5 min read

    How to Deal With Angry Emails and Messages and Keep Your Sanity

    © 2014 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.Irate messages – especially email, texts and other electronic formats– are increasingly common. A relative blames you for…

  18. Oct 1, 2012

    Coaching for BIFF Response®

    © 2012 Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. A BIFF Response® is designed to calm a hostile conversation. They can be written (or said) by anyone, although it takes practice…

  19. Feb 8, 2012

    Josh Powell Case: Times of High Risk ARE Predictable

    © 2012 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. None of us can predict who is going to commit a family murder, such as the murder-suicide of Josh Powell and his two young sons…

  20. Jan 19, 2012

    BIFFs for Business and Professions

    © 2012 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.Excerpted from BIFF: Quick Responses to High Conflict People, Their Personal Attacks, Hostile Email and Social Media Meltdowns…

  21. Jun 28, 2011

    When to Respond with a BIFF? In general, it’s best to respond quickly. Here's why...

    © 2011 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.HCPs tend to believe that you agree with their opinions of you unless you quickly disagree. Unfortunately, silence means consent…

  22. Jun 16, 2011

    Excerpted from BIFF: How lack of self-awarness drives high conflict communications

    © 2011 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.Following Tuesday's post, a HCPs lack of self-awareness fuels combative communications. It runs rampant in their emails, social…

  23. Jun 14, 2011

    BIFF: Quick Responses to High-Conflict People

    © 2011 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. High-Conflict Personalities HCPs have a repeated pattern of aggressive behavior that increases conflict rather than reducing or…

  24. Jun 3, 2011

    Use and Abuse of Social Media in High-Conflict Cases

    © 2011 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. Facebook and other social media offer the opportunity to communicate with many people at once. In many ways, this can be a good…

  25. Feb 1, 2011

    Calming Upset People with EAR

    © 2011 by Bill Eddy, LCSW, JD Everyone gets upset some of the time. High conflict people get upset a lot of the time. A simple technique called an EAR…

  26. Jan 31, 2011

    Can't Stop Themselves!

    © 2011 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.What do dictators, spousal abusers and workplace bullies have in common? They all seem to be people with “High-Conflict”…

  27. Jan 9, 2011

    Who Do You Blame?

    © 2011 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.We live in a Culture of Blame, where individuals are blamed and attacked for complex social and political problems. This has…

  28. Sep 11, 2007

    Responding to Hostile Email

    © 2007 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. Hostile email, texts and other electronic communications have become much more common over the past decade. Most of this is…

  29. Jun 22, 2007

    How To Write A BIFF Response®

    Use the BIFF method — Brief, Informative, Friendly, Firm — to write calm responses to hostile emails and texts. Step-by-step examples from Bill Eddy.