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Maintaining Your Cool During Family Conflict with Kimberly Best
Episode 44 • 12th December 2022 • Life on Repeat: A Dementia Caregiver Podcast • Laura Vaillancourt
00:00:00 00:40:46

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📝 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

đź’ˇ 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:

Website: https://lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/lifeonrepeatpodcast

Facebook: https://facebook.com/lifeonrepeatpodcast

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeonRepeatPodcast


✨ Like this episode? Please like, subscribe, and share with someone who needs to hear it. You’re not alone.



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