Why is it that with some people I can have these meaningful conversations in which I feel like a good connection and understanding is made and then just days later it’s as if it never happened?  I experience this at times with my husband and it tends to revolve around minor things but I have to admit that there are a few deeper topics that we have discussed repeatedly, yet it seems like we aren’t making progress. Why is this?  Fortunately, we have the luxury of time to figure some of this stuff out but not everyone has that luxury.  Medical crises, a chronic family challenge such as Dementia, a child facing significant academic struggles, a financial crisis, these big things can create panic and a need for families to communicate between themselves and with professionals clearly, concisely and without delay.  So how can we do this?  This week on Caregivers’ Circle, John Stoker, author of Overcoming Fake Talk: How to Have Real Conversations that Create Respect, Build Relationships and Get Results offers guidelines of how to improve our communication patterns.