Repairing Injured Relationships

A Healer's Guide to the Beyond Intractability Website

• Do you think apologies are necessary, or at a minimum helpful, in enabling people to move past problems in their lives?
• Do you encourage opening the lines of communication and engaging in negotiation when people are in conflict but are not talking?
• If someone from another group approaches you to enter into a dialogue that could be difficult for you, do you engage?

If you answered "yes" to one or more of the above questions, then you are probably a healer. And if you are a healer, then this site is for you!

Who are Healers?

At the core of many conflicts lie emotions — anger, fear, humiliation, hatred, insecurity, and grief. The wounds may run deep. Even if a conflict appears to be resolved after a process of mediation, adjudication, or voting, the wounds may remain, and with them, the danger that the conflict could recur. A conflict cannot be considered fully resolved until the injured relationships have begun to heal. The role of the healer is to assist in this process.

For More Information

• Sources of Injury
• Approaches that Healers Might Find Useful
• Resources for Healers
• Third Sider Roles
• Main Third Side Page

Much of the material on this user guide is drawn from www.thirdside.org. Thanks to William Ury and Joshua Weiss for giving us permission to republish their material here.