Dr. Patrick J. DiVietri, Ph.D., CPC, OCDS
People usually think of communication as simply talking, listening and understanding. We talk and listen so that we might understand someone else or that they might understand us. Therefore when couples say, “we have a communication problem” what they usually mean is “We don’t talk, listen or understand.” Talking and listening are really communication skills. Although they are very important, true communication is something more as we will see later in this section. We will see that the most serious communication problems occur in that area. At this time, we will look at the communication skills so that they might be clearer to parents.
A principle that we will express is that communication is quite natural and therefore many parents and couples are already successful and skillful in these areas. It is contained within the virtue of sociability. It therefore helps to identify the rudiments of conversation and sociability. Communication skills are principally: talking, listening, understanding and virtues.
1) Talking
a) To express something, to be understood or to understand
2) Listening
a) To hear something, to understand
3) Understanding
a) To know something, to unite
4) Virtues
a) To express love, to know happiness