Led by Dr. Anatasia Kim, the Constructive Conversations Lab explores how people navigate difficult and high-stakes conversations across education, healthcare, leadership, and community settings. Our work bridges the fields of psychological science, communication, and equity practice to strengthen connections and understanding. To that end, our research focuses on the role and impacts of:

• Professional and relational contexts such as therapy, clinical supervision, higher education, and organizational settings.

• Stepwise interventions that break down constructive dialogue into observable, trainable skills.

• Mechanisms of change (e.g., empathy, values alignment, fairness, autonomy, closure) that explain why structured approaches work.

• Applied tools and training resources (validated scripts, conversation cards, best-practice guides) that bridge research and practice.

Through rigorous research and translation, the CCL aims to develop evidence-based strategies that strengthen relationships, reduce defensiveness, and promote psychological safety across diverse settings.