ABSTRACT
Humans are fundamentally social creatures. Knowing yourself and being your best is important and yet it is only part of living a good life! Interacting and communicating with other people is also crucial for a full, rich, and meaningful life. But if not done with intention and skill, interactions with other humans can be less than positive. This chapter is about interpersonal communication – how it is so vital for us as humans, how it is learned, and how we can be more effective by learning some of the basic rules of interpersonal communication. This chapter is informed by the research in contemporary interpersonal theory, interpersonal mindfulness, and interpersonal psychotherapy. In this chapter, we present and explore the impact of other people on how we learn to communicate interpersonally. We do this by reviewing a technique called the family genogram. We also introduce you to one of the most powerful models of understanding interpersonal forces between people – the interpersonal circumplex or circle.
