Episode 43: How to Have Hard Conversations (Without Losing Yourself) — Entrée

→ Download the Courageous Conversations Container Workbook

Ever walk into a hard conversation with good intentions—and come out feeling worse?

In this Entrée episode of Relish, Alyssia Sheikh offers a grounded, mindful approach to having hard conversations that doesn’t rely on perfect scripts or performance. Instead, this episode focuses on creating the inner and outer conditions that make repair possible.

Drawing from mindfulness, Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and years of coaching experience, Alyssia explores why hard conversations activate fear, shame, and reactivity—and why “saying it better” isn’t enough if those inner states aren’t addressed first. You’ll learn how to take responsibility for your own reactions, recognize projection and transference, and approach communication as a shared growth path rather than a battleground.

The episode walks through:

• Why rupture is inevitable in relationships—and why repair matters more
• How to do the inner work before the conversation
• A clear, practical NVC framework (observation → feelings → needs → request)
• A real-life client example to show how this looks in practice
• A simple conversation container (who / what / where / when / why / how) to set yourself up for success

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why hard conversations feel threatening even when they’re necessary
• How to distinguish subjective experience from objective reality
• Why “my reaction is my responsibility” changes everything
• How mindfulness creates choice instead of reactivity
• How to speak honestly without blame or collapse
• What to do when conversations go sideways—and how to repair

💭 Reflection:
Am I more attached to being right—or to being in relationship?

This episode is an invitation to meet yourself, and the people you care about, with more presence, clarity, and compassion—especially when it matters most.

Follow & Connect:

• Join the Newsletter
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• YouTube: Alyssia Sheikh
• Email me: [email protected]
• Call our hotline and leave a voicemail! (213) 632-9972‬
• Book a Self-Trust Session with Alyssia

• The Hoffman Institute (Alyssia is a Hoffman Process teacher; podcast is not affiliated)

Relevant Episodes: 

• Episode 29 — How to Finally Set Boundaries That Stick (includes free download to feelings/needs lists)
• Episode 36 — Shame (Part 2): Separation — Why Shame Feels Like Who You Are
• Episode 41 — Fear vs. Threat — How to Tell What’s Actually Happening in Your Body
• Episode 3 — BLIPS: The Power of the Pause
• Episode 3b — BLIPS: Dessert Meditation

Relevant Links & Resources:

→ Download the Courageous Conversations Container Workbook

• Marshall Rosenberg — Nonviolent Communication
  
• Oren Jay Sofer — Say What You Mean