Difficult conversations are part of professional practice. Whether you are supporting a patient, client, family member, colleague, or community member, situations involving resistance, conflict, strong emotions, competing priorities, or behaviour change can be challenging to navigate. Yet these conversations often have a significant impact on trust, engagement, relationships, and outcomes.

This certificate prepares participants to communicate with greater confidence, build trust-based relationships, and navigate challenging conversations while maintaining professionalism, empathy, and appropriate boundaries.

Participants learn practical communication strategies, motivational interviewing techniques, de-escalation approaches, and methods for managing difficult interactions with patients, clients, families, community members, colleagues, and other stakeholders.

The program focuses on real-world conversations where emotions are high, perspectives differ, resistance is present, or change is difficult. Through discussion, case studies, practical exercises, and applied learning activities, participants develop skills that can be immediately applied in practice.

This certificate is a core course within the Professional Patient Navigation Certificate (PPNC) and the Harm Reduction Health Certificate. It may also be taken as a standalone professional development certificate.

Learning Outcomes