If we've learned nothing else this election season, it is that we as Americans are very good at talking at each other or over each other or avoiding talking altogether.

Actually talking with one another, especially

people with whom we strongly disagree, that just feels out of our reach lately. The good news

is that with the right attitude and approach, these fraught conversations do not have to end

in yelling or tears or stony silence. In fact, they might even end with understanding.

From KERA in Dallas, this is Think. I'm Chris Boyd. As we reach the home stretch of the election

and the transition to the holiday season and all of its potential pitfalls, seems like a good

time to consider how we can improve the way we communicate with the people in our lives.

Later in the hour, we'll hear from an expert on social interactions about subtle signals we trade during conversations that tell us if we are connecting with another person.

And we'll start with a look at how we can set the stage for having conversations we know are going to be tough.

Harville Hendricks and Helen

the Kelly Hunt are therapists who specialize in creating safe spaces for conversations. Their new book

is How to Talk with Anyone About Anything, the Practice of Safe Conversations. I spoke with them

in front of a live audience last week, and here is some of that conversation.

Harville and Helen, welcome to think.

Thank you for having us. We are honored to be here.

So we're going to learn about your safe conversations dialogue process, and we'll get into the specifics of that in a minute.

But what makes a conversation safe or unsafe in the first place?

Well, what makes a conversation safe in the first place

is that it is empty of negativity and judgment.

And another thing that makes it safe is that

with the person you're talking to has some sense

...