Presenter(s):

Carol-Ann Dixon, Vera Roos, Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, South Africa

Abstract

Relational wellbeing is directly linked to the quality of dialogue—whether effective or ineffective. Effective dialogue enhances relational wellbeing by transforming how older individuals interact with their partners, family members, care workers, or community members in diverse settings. Conversely, ineffective dialogue across the life course can erode trust and intimacy in later life, reinforcing negative interaction patterns such as criticism, defensiveness, and withdrawal. This three-part, two-hour interactive workshop aims to demonstrate how to engage in effective dialogue and using psychoeducation. Part 1 serves as an orientation for two volunteering older partners, with attendees positioned as guides. The guides will hold a safe space for the dialogue, supporting older participants in moving emotionally or physically toward each other rather than away. However, the guides may also experience emotional activation, as humans are deeply attuned to one another’s experiences. All participants will be asked to treat the information shared as confidential. Part 2 invites the older participants to engage in dialogue, with the following preparations: 1) Grounding through breathing. 2) Sitting at arms’ length to facilitate eye contact and the monitoring of facial cues. 3) Identifying a deep longing for their relationships. The following strategies will be demonstrated to promote effective dialogue. 1) Developing bodily awareness to determine who will be the host (the sender who shares first) and who will be the visitor (the receiver who listens first). 2) Crossing the bridge which means each partner enters the other’s world by hearing and speaking their language. 3) Slowing down and using short sentences. 4) Mirroring—the visitor listens attentively without interruption and then provides an accurate summary of the host’s emotional and cognitive message. 5) Fine-tuning which entails that the host clarifies which parts the visitor expressed accurately and what was missed. 6) Managing emotional overwhelm by slowing down, the host creating space within their body and the visitor maintaining eye contact. 7) Finding words to capture emotional experiences. 8) Validating the internal logic of the host’s viewpoint to build mutual respect when the visitor acknowledges that the host’s perspective makes sense. 8) Expressing appreciation for the connection and for each other. Part 3 invites attendees and the older participants to engage in experiential learning activities for debriefing and exploration. These activities aim to demonstrate: 1) Different energy states assumed in the dialogue with others, and 2) Various perspectives on the same subject matter. The session concludes with a reflective exercise in which participants express their new learnings using a one-word metaphor.

Bio(s):

Carol-Ann Dixon is a seasoned Counselling Psychologist with over two decades of experience in private practice across South Africa and the UK. Currently, she serves as a Board Member for Imago Africa and Imago Relationships Worldwide (IRW). Carol-Ann is pursuing a PhD in Relational Dynamics and Development at North West University in South Africa, expected to be completed in 2025. Her academic journey includes her Master degree from the University of Johannesburg (1999), advanced clinical training in Imago Relationship Therapy and Encounter-Centered Couples Therapy, as well as certifications in Mediation, and Narrative Therapy. She is registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA), and the Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC) UK. She has contributed to the field through her academic research, including her recent publication Public Health Reviews (2024) which offers a critical examination of effective relationships between younger caregivers and older care recipients across formal residential care settings, reflecting her ongoing interest in relational quality and optimal care outcomes. Her practice and scholarship focus on intergenerational relational dynamics, with a commitment to helping individuals, couples, families and communities develop healthier and more meaningful connections.

Vera Roos is Professor in the Ageing and Generational Dynamics in Africa (AGenDA) programme in the Optentia Research Unit at North-West University, and an Affiliate Research Fellow of the Institute of Population Ageing at the University of Oxford. As a socio-gerontologist, she focuses on relational experiences and on the contributions of older individuals in challenged contexts. Vera presented her research on topics related to enabling interpersonal contexts, loneliness, friendship, and intergenerational relations at national and international conferences, and has published widely, including four edited books. Vera developed the Mmogo-method®, a projective visual data-collection tool to enable research participation despite age, language, or cultural barriers. Findings from this visual method informed the development of self-interactional group Theory (SIGT). Her commitment to promoting the well-being of older people prompted the development of an information and communication eDirectory system, Yabelana, with context-specific information for use on smart and older generation mobile phone devices.