17. Lisa Swallow: Crossing Party Lines

Lisa K Swallow is the co-founder and Executive Director of Crossing Party Lines, Inc., a national nonprofit dedicated to reducing toxic polarization by creating open dialogue between Americans with dissimilar political views. In this interview, she shares a wealth of wisdom derived from helping hundreds of people heal the political divide in their families and communities, exploring insights and tools derived from mindfulness, relational neurobiology, Nonviolent Communication, and Moral Foundations Theory. Trained in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), Lisa hadn't considered bringing her work into the political arena until 2016, when politics became personal. That year, a long-awaited reunion with a conservative cousin turned contentious as soon as conversation became political, which it did regardless of what topic they chose. Then, on the second day of her visit Lisa thought to apply her active listening skills and the conversation shifted from toxic to respectful. On returning to her home in Portland, Oregon, Lisa set about identifying the specific skills that lead to civil, productive political conversations. She learned that the key to talking across differences lies in cultivating a curious, open mind and listening to understand why another person’s views make sense for them. Her nonprofit, Crossing Party Lines, provides two crucial services: workshops teaching the concepts and skills and weekly facilitated meetings where members can practice those skills. Her work is rooted in NVC, inspired by the work of John and Julie Gottman and Stephen Stosny, and draws from cognitive science, neurobiology, and evolutionary psychology. Her workshops emphasize mindfulness, active listening, clear boundaries, and understanding the unspoken contracts at play in any conversation.  Lisa has written two books on the subject: her memoir, No One Was Listening, and a workbook, Yes, You can Talk Politics, which makes it possible for anyone, anywhere, to learn the skills for listening and talking across differences. Find Lisa at www.LisaKSwallow.com. Learn more about Crossing Party Lines at Crossingpartylines.com. Follow CPL on Twitter @crosspartylines or Instagram @crossingpartylines.  To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★