Workplace Conflict Resolution: Kimberly Parker Of Healthy Mind Counseling & Nutrition On How Team Leaders Can Create The Right Environment To Resolve Conflicts
An Interview With Eric Pines
Lead by Example: Leaders know how to lead themselves and others will then follow is my motto. I find that when I set the standard of what personality type I want to work for my practice, I must be the person that would want to hire me. I believe in being genuine and assertive which set precedence to how you want your employees to interact.
An important component of leadership is conflict resolution. Why is conflict resolution so important? How can leaders effectively incorporate conflict resolution into their work culture? In this interview series called “Workplace Conflict Resolution: How Team Leaders Can Create the Right Environment to Resolve Conflicts,” we are talking to business leaders who can share insights and anecdotes from their experience about how to implement Conflict Resolution at work. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Kimberly Parker.
Kimberly Parker is a licensed psychotherapist and Forensic Evaluator that specializes in trauma. Kimberly is also a forensic evaluator, and she volunteers to provide a psychological piece for those escaping inhumane treatment from various countries. Kimberly’s area of expertise is in PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Personality Disorders, Somatic Disorders, and eating disorders. Kimberly assists clients with healing their various parts of self with evidence-based treatment models such as EMDR & Brainspotting Therapy.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
I would have to say that I was born to assist people in healing their minds and looking at life through a cleaner lens. When I was a child, I was noticeably quiet and observant, I enjoyed playing outside with my pets. I remember wanting to either be a veterinarian or a psychologist. I read a lot of books and wrote in school. I communicated well with my peers and teacher, and I did not have any disciplinary issues. I could have a good relationship with different circles of people, and I was always focused on my academics. I enjoyed conversing with my teachers and that has always been part of who I am even in college. Learning made me happy, and I would find myself becoming bored if I were not learning. I enjoyed speaking with the teachers throughout my life as they were able to plant seeds of knowledge and guidance in my life. My professors were my mentors and people who helped me along my journey, I am forever grateful because they believed in my success.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
When I started my private practice is when I felt a true sense of freedom. I was not happy working for other people. I was under constraints where I could not help my clients in a manner that I saw fit and that I knew worked. I always wanted to be a writer discussing mental health and wellness. I have been blessed to be able to publish so many articles, this brings happiness to my life because I am spreading awareness across the globe.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
“I think therefore I am” Descartes is one of my favorite quotes because it reminds me of the book “As A Man Thinketh.” I learned throughout my life, career, and love knowing the power of thought that it can steer to success or failure. I converse with myself when there are thoughts that do not align with my life goals. This helps me to process where the thoughts are coming from and how to dispel them as well. This quote aligns with the people, places, and things that you allow in your life. A positive environment with supportive connections brings forth positive thoughts. I work towards surrounding myself with as much positivity as possible.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
My company incorporates specialized therapies to assist with all mental health diagnoses. I assist my client with rewiring their brain utilizing somatic therapy techniques such as brain spotting. EMDR and tapping. My company also incorporates holistic nutrition because what you eat affects your mental health. Over the years I have had a high success rate with my clients, the goal is to assist them in the healing process along with teaching them skills that they can utilize outside of therapy.
You are a successful business leader. Which three-character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I possess a unique combination of quality traits that have played a significant role in my success. My humility has been a guiding principle in both my personal and professional life. I believe in acknowledging my limitations and constantly seeking opportunities to gain experience and grow. I think logically, I bring a rational and analytical mindset where I break down complex problems to manageable towards success. I am very observant and collect data when dealing with various situations.
One of my greatest strengths lies in my understanding of people. I possess a deep empathy and a genuine interest in connecting with others on an emotional level. I value diverse perspectives and take the time to understand the needs and motivations of those around me. This is how I have built strong relationships with my clients and been able to network to build my brand.
My humility, logical thinking, and understanding of people have been instrumental in my journey to success. People are drawn to me because I am genuine in my practice. I have been able to overcome huge obstacles, and this built my confidence even more. Overall, it strengthens and grows my life vision, there is more work to do and yet I am confident that I will succeed.
What are some common misunderstandings about Conflict Resolution that are important to clear up?
I used to intern at the Mediation Center of Hampton Roads, what I learned is that in conflict resolution that the results may not favor fully on either side. The misconception is that one wins and the other loses, when in fact the goal is to come to an agreement that meets the interests of both parties. Conflict resolution consists of having a mediator that is not biased, and the resolution in most cases will not resolve in one meeting. Avoiding conflict will create a resolution is another misunderstanding, this will cause the conflict to grow, and one can lose sight of their mission.
This might be intuitive to you, but it will be helpful to clearly express this. Can you please explain why it is so important for leaders to learn and deploy conflict resolution techniques?
When you are collaborating with people from various backgrounds and having different personality types, there is going to be conflict. The goal is to create, maintain and grow employee morale by creating an environment where employees feel comfortable communicating. This assists in problem-solving as it can be used as an intervention and prevention for the future. You want the environment to feel safe for everyone without worrying about backlash. Productivity in an environment where conflict resolution skills are high creates high production rates, employee wellness and longevity, and employee loyalty. Conflict resolution reduces the risk of a hostile environment, company rating, and lawsuits.
On the other side, what happens to a work culture when there is no effective way of resolving conflict? How does it impact employees?
The company’s reputation will disintegrate, and this comes from word of mouth. If your company is known to harbor a toxic environment, hiring new employees will be difficult. The turnover rate will be high, which is costly for corporations. There is going to be a toxic work culture where conflict escalates and numerous human resource complaints. There will be EEOC complaints, low Better Business Bureau ratings, and revenue loss from the company. I saw this firsthand is that I am a clinician that receives EAP referrals from corporations, what I see are clients who have work stress due to being in a toxic work environment. Employees are utilizing FMLA and even short-term disability because the work environment is affecting their mental and physical health.
Can you provide examples of how effective conflict resolution has led to increased team performance, collaboration, or innovation within your organization?
When your work environment is healthy employees are going to be energized and ready to work. Work-life balance is already a tedious task, so creating a healthy space offsets your employee’s life stress in that they are happy to attend work. I set the stage when interviewing potential employees for my organization, I emphasize self-care and how it affects the employee and client. I discuss burnout and having an open-door policy so that potential employees feel comfortable working with me at my organization. I inform them even though I own the practice that because we work together this is their practice as well for the duration that they work here. I noticed that this makes future employees feel more at ease in the interview process and that they can comprehend the practice expectations.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “Five Ways Every Team Leader Can Create the Right Environment to Resolve Conflicts”? If you can, please share specific examples of a workplace conflict you’ve encountered, and how you applied conflict resolution techniques to address it.
- Teamwork” We Are in This Together.” When bringing in new employees discuss the company’s expectations of the employees. The discussion of employee morale and even having your employee take an assessment that discusses conflict resolution. In the interview give scenarios and notice the response of the person you intend to hire. When I used to work for a corporation, I would see that some employees would lose sight of the matters at hand. I believe in utilizing logic over emotions, some would say that I am too serious. When you are working for a corporation or even your own, it is serious because this is your livelihood.
- Inclusivity: When you have employees from diverse backgrounds, they bring unique perspectives and approaches. This creates an environment that is safe where everyone is comfortable sharing their viewpoints. The goal is for employees to find value in the different perspectives being brought to the table. In my field cultural competency is especially important when you are collaborating with clients who have mental health concerns. There may be times when conflict may arise when a client is not adhering to the treatment plan and you as the clinician must be able to meet the client where they are and find out what are the barriers to growth.
- Promoting Mental Health & Wellness: Promoting healthy dialogue reduces stress and anxiety which can lead to depression. Imagine working at a corporation where you feel as if you are walking on eggshells, which puts your brain in a “fight or flight’ stage. Having open and clear communication can reduce one being susceptible to mental health issues due to a toxic work environment.
- Educational Training on Conflict Resolution: Training keeps your employees updated on the mission of your company. Being a therapist conflict resolution is important because it equips them with the skills and techniques necessary to effectively navigate and manage conflicts within therapeutic relationships. Conflict resolution ties into ethics because your concern is the well-being of your employees and the customers that you serve conflict resolution skills, therapists can create a safe and supportive therapeutic environment, fostering positive therapeutic outcomes and strengthening a therapeutic alliance. Ultimately, conflict resolution training is essential because it helps you to navigate complex issues and come to a resolution for the benefit of your targeted goals.
- Lead by Example: Leaders know how to lead themselves and others will then follow is my motto. I find that when I set the standard of what personality type I want to work for my practice, I must be the person that would want to hire me. I believe in being genuine and assertive which set precedence to how you want your employees to interact.
In your experience, what are the most common sources of conflict within a team, and how do you proactively address these potential issues before they escalate?
The most common sources come from miscommunication and being defensive before even knowing the subject at hand that needs to be discussed. I would see co-workers causing division based on their department when in fact working as a team to reach the company goals should have been at the forefront. There would be disciplines that would express their knowledge in a department that they had no expertise, this would cause resentment amongst each other.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Starting a platform discussing the methods of healing your mind, body, and soul. I would like to demonstrate and have visitors who bring the proper knowledge and moral compass on how to heal. I am trained to provide employee health and wellness; I would like to connect with major corporations to assist them with their employee retention rates.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Instagram: Healthy_Mind_Counseling
Website: www.heathymindcounseligandnutrition.com
LinkedIn: (9) Kimberly Parker | LinkedIn
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About the Interviewer: Eric L. Pines is a nationally recognized federal employment lawyer, mediator, and attorney business coach. He represents federal employees and acts as in-house counsel for over fifty thousand federal employees through his work as a federal employee labor union representative. A formal federal employee himself, Mr. Pines began his federal employment law career as in-house counsel for AFGE Local 1923 which is in Social Security Administration’s headquarters and is the largest federal union local in the world. He presently serves as AFGE 1923’s Chief Counsel as well as in-house counsel for all FEMA bargaining unit employees and numerous Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs unions.
While he and his firm specialize in representing federal employees from all federal agencies and in reference to virtually all federal employee matters, his firm has placed special attention on representing Veteran Affairs doctors and nurses hired under the authority of Title. He and his firm have a particular passion in representing disabled federal employees with their requests for medical and religious reasonable accommodations when those accommodations are warranted under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (ADA). He also represents them with their requests for Federal Employee Disability Retirement (OPM) when an accommodation would not be possible.
Mr. Pines has also served as a mediator for numerous federal agencies including serving a year as the Library of Congress’ in-house EEO Mediator. He has also served as an expert witness in federal court for federal employee matters. He has also worked as an EEO technical writer drafting hundreds of Final Agency Decisions for the federal sector.
Mr. Pines’ firm is headquartered in Houston, Texas and has offices in Baltimore, Maryland and Atlanta, Georgia. His first passion is his wife and five children. He plays classical and rock guitar and enjoys playing ice hockey, running, and biking. Please visit his websites at www.pinesfederal.com and www.toughinjurylawyers.com. He can also be reached at eric@pinesfederal.com.
Workplace Conflict Resolution: Kimberly Parker Of Healthy Mind Counseling & Nutrition On How Team… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.