Maintaining Your Cool During Family Conflict with Kimberly Best

? Episode Overview:

In this episode, Laura welcomes Kimberly Best, a professional family mediator and former trauma nurse, to talk about one of the most stressful parts of caregiving: family conflict. Together, they explore practical ways to stay grounded, communicate effectively, and navigate emotionally charged situations with clarity and compassion.

Whether you’re feeling stuck in a family disagreement or just want to avoid future tension, this episode is packed with tools to help you maintain your cool and preserve peace.

? Meet Kimberly Best:

Kimberly Best is a trained family mediator and owner of Best Conflict Solutions. She specializes in conflict resolution within families, elder care, healthcare teams, and small organizations. Drawing from her experience as a trauma and ICU nurse, Kimberly brings both compassion and structure to emotionally complex situations. She is also the author of How to Live Forever: A Guide to Writing the Final Chapter of Your Life Story and is passionate about guiding people through meaningful, values-based conversations.

? Topics Discussed:

• What causes family conflict during caregiving
• Tips to de-escalate and stay calm in tense moments
• How to approach emotionally charged conversations
• The role of mediation in dementia and elder care
• Understanding grief, guilt, and family dynamics
• Why boundaries are an act of care—for everyone involved

⏱️ Timestamps (Approximate):

00:00 – Introduction and meeting Kimberly Best

01:38 – From ICU nurse to family mediator

04:44 – Common causes of conflict in caregiving

07:32 – The emotional landscape behind family disagreements

10:15 – Tips for staying grounded during family tension

14:08 – The difference between reacting and responding

16:42 – What transformative mediation really means

20:11 – How to begin difficult conversations with family

24:30 – Why “being right” can get in the way of resolution

28:19 – The role of grief and unspoken pain in conflict

31:47 – Setting boundaries and protecting your peace

35:04 – How to know when mediation might help

38:40 – Final encouragement and how to connect with Kimberly

? Key Takeaways:

• Family conflict is common in caregiving—but it’s not inevitable
• You can learn to respond instead of react, even in high-stress moments
• Mediation creates space for healing, not just problem-solving
• Clear communication starts with emotional awareness
• Peace doesn’t mean avoiding conflict—it means navigating it with intention

? Resources Mentioned:

• Best Conflict Solutions – Kimberly’s website
• Book: How to Live Forever: A Guide to Writing the Final Chapter of Your Life Story by Kimberly Best

? Connect with Kimberly Best:

Website: bestconflictsolutions.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kimberlybestmediator

Instagram: @kimberly_a_best

Facebook: Best Conflict Solutions

? Connect with Laura Vaillancourt & the Life on Repeat Podcast:

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