Working with Conflict and High Emotion

Transform high emotion and conflict into constructive participation with proven tools and approaches.

About This Course

Conflict and high emotion are part of many public participation and engagement processes. Left unchecked, they stall progress and damage trust. This course gives you practical strategies to shift tension into constructive participation.

You will learn to assess conflict, understand escalation, and apply tools to de-escalate and transform challenges. The course draws from real-world scenarios and global practices, preparing you to work effectively in polarized environments.

Key Benefits

  • Gain tools to de-escalate high emotion and move groups toward resolution

  • Learn to apply conflict transformation strategies grounded in IAP2’s five foundations of engagement

  • Strengthen facilitation skills for polarized and emotionally charged situations

  • Increase your confidence in addressing misinformation, dueling facts, and cancel culture

  • Apply learning directly to your own project or engagement scenario

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Why Take This Course

High conflict and emotional intensity are realities in today’s engagement landscape. Communities are divided by misinformation, polarization, and competing values. Practitioners must be ready to respond with approaches that build trust and allow for progress.

This course equips you to:

  • Understand conflict escalation and apply de-escalation techniques

  • Use strategies that foster equity, transparency, and collaboration

  • Model integrity and resilience when facilitating charged conversations

  • Communicate effectively in situations shaped by misinformation and strong emotion

Expected Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Assess the state of conflict and emotion in engagement processes

  • Apply de-escalation concepts using Glasl’s conflict escalation model

  • Implement strategies to transform polarized conflict

  • Recognize and respond to the impact of high emotion

  • Address misinformation and dueling facts with credibility

  • Use storytelling to connect people, build understanding, and reduce tension

  • Learn from mistakes and apply resilience in practice

  • Model behaviours that de-escalate conflict and strengthen relationships

  • Apply the strategies and tools directly to their own project or situation

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Who Is This Course For

Internationally vetted methods
Professionals experienced in engagement who need practical tools to address conflict and high emotion in their work
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Level 2 practitioners leading or managing engagement processes with conflict and scope challenges


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Intermediate to advanced practitioners seeking deeper strategies for polarized or emotional environments


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Professionals managing teams, key relationships, and engagement activities with some risk or complexity.



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